Sinclair Island is an island in the U.S. state of

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

. It is a part of, and lies off the western shore of mainland

Skagit County Skagit County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,523. The county seat and largest city is Mount Vernon. The county was formed in 1883 from Whatcom County and is named for the Skagit Ind ...

. The island has a land area of 4.109 km² (1.586 sq mi) and is home to only a few private residents. The name Sinclair was given by

Charles Wilkes Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer, ship's captain, and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition (1838–1842). During the American Civil War (1861–1865), he commanded ' during the ...

during the

Wilkes Expedition The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby ...

of 1838–1842. It honors

Arthur Sinclair Commodore Arthur Sinclair (28 February 1780 – 7 February 1831) was an early American naval hero, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Quasi-War with France, the First Barbary War and in the War of 1812. His three sons also served in the ...

, who was captain of ''General Pike'' during a naval battle of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

. Settlers in the 1890s referred to the island as Cottonwood Island, after the lumber harvested there for making barrel heads and staves.

Notes

References

Sinclair Island: Blocks 1029 thru 1036, Census Tract 9501, Skagit County, Washington
United States Census Bureau Islands of Washington (state) Islands of Skagit County, Washington Islands of Puget Sound {{SkagitCountyWA-geo-stub