Thomas McElderry Sinclair
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States
The Sinclair Company's plant in Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States
The Sinclair Company's plant in Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States
Sinclair Memorial Chapel, Coe College
Thomas McElderry Sinclair was born on May 14 1842 in Belfast, United Kingdom, the third son of John and Eliza (Pirie) Sinclair. The Sinclairs were well established in the meatpacking business, having opened their first plant in Ireland in 1832.
Thomas Sinclair learned the family business in Europe before embarking with his cousin John for New York in 1862. There they opened their first American plant. The New York branch did very well throughout the civil war until a fire destroyed the plant in 1866.
In 1871 Thomas Sinclair and his bride moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which would be the location of the next Sinclair plant. Cedar Rapids had ready access to large numbers of hogs and, since 1859, was connected by railroad to Chicago, which provided ready transportation of the plant’s products for the export trade. The Sinclair packing plant became one of Cedar Rapids' first major industries, and its founder made a profound impact on the community. The Sinclair plant quickly became the largest producer of processed meat in Iowa between 1874 and 1894 and by 1878 operated the fourth-largest packinghouse in the world.
Thomas Sinclair contributed to improvements in Cedar Rapids, a benefit to both the community and the efficiency of his business. He played an active role in organizing the city's first water department.
He is credited with saving Coe College through his generous act of liquidating the institution's debt. The Sinclair family later donated the money to build the first Sinclair Memorial Chapel in 1911 to commemorate Sinclair's generosity and commitment to the college.
Thomas Sinclair was a devout Presbyterian and active in local religious life and church missions. He served as an elder in the First Presbyterian Church and used a box factory on the plant site for religious services and instruction of plant workers.
Thomas Sinclair was well known in Cedar Rapids for his benevolence.
In 1870 Thomas Sinclair married Caroline Campbell Soutter of Philadelphia. Thomas and Caroline Sinclair had six children: Robert, John, Elsie, Amy, Fanny, and Agnes.
