Sinclair is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Butler County,

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

, United States.

History

Sinclair was a frequent stop for the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. T ...

during and before the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. Prior to the establishment of the town, it was nothing more than a railroad stop. Throughout its history, the town has had periods of expansion and periods of struggle. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, the town of Sinclair and the small population suffered greatly. Sinclair's population was 12 in 1925. On May 25, 2008, an EF5 tornado ripped through southern Butler County, and destroyed the Sinclair grain elevator, ripping apart grain bins and throwing

anhydrous ammonia Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . A stable binary hydride, and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinct pungent smell. Biologically, it is a common nitrogenous wast ...

tanks into fields.

References

Unincorporated communities in Butler County, Iowa Unincorporated communities in Iowa {{ButlerCountyIA-geo-stub