The Settlement of the Sinclair Estate
A local judge divides the assets and custody of the Sinclair family, marking a significant separation of property and children.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Judge Davidson has handed down his decision in the Sinclair divorce case. The decree awards Mrs. Sinclair $1,000 in cash and two ten-acre pieces of land planted with orchard and hops, along with the custody of their two daughters. Mr. Sinclair is awarded the brick building and business on First Street, the personal property, and custody of the son. Costs are assessed to Mr. Sinclair.
“The brick building and business on First street... is awarded to Mr. Sinclair.”
Divorce settlements in the 1890s often centered on the survival of the business or farm, as seen in the award of the First Street commercial property to the husband. Today, Ellensburg's courts handle similar divisions, though modern equitable distribution laws have significantly changed how land and childcare are managed during separations.
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