Sinclair, Wyoming, where the refinery that is the main business in town is larger than the town, and it has always been that way.
A historic Carbon County company town located six miles east of Rawlins along Interstate 80. Founded in 1922 as Parco, it features unique Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, a population of about 355, and a massive, active oil refinery.
Sinclair has a Sinclair gas station and truck stop along the interstate, which is in sight of the refinery. That makes sense, and has always made me wonder if they bother loading trucks of fuel up for the station or if they just pipe refills over.
The town was built as a planned community and named Parco for the Producers and Refiners Corporation. It shows, as most of the town's cute little homes look like company cottages. It is a very attractive little town with mostly nice homes.
It was renamed Sinclair in 1943 after the Sinclair Consolidated Oil Corporation acquired the assets.
The current census and local estimates place the population around 355 residents.
The video below popped up on TikTok and seems to be made by a guy who really does not like the town. Mostly, he is being sarcastic.
This is not the type of place a person would retire to. It is a company town. Mostly, the people who live there work there. That's the point of the place. I'm sure some who retire will continue to live there, but most everyone else will move on to anyplace else.
Jay Em, Wyoming, Frozen In Time
Gallery Credit: Glenn Woods