Sarah A. Evarts (1833-1901) was one of many women who invested in the Woman's Land Syndicate in Chicago.

Sarah A. Hinman was born to Cyrus Hinman (1806-1885) and Eunice Benedict Hinman (1814-1892) on July 21, 1833 in Connecticut. In 1850, the family lived in Southbury, Connecticut. Around 1852, Hinman married Joseph E. Evarts (1830-1903). During the Civil War, Evarts enlisted in the 23rd Infantry, Company K, and was wounded at La Fourche Crossing, Louisiana in August 1863. The couple had seven children, but only four survived: Mary E, Franklin E., Carrie E., and William H. Some time between 1870 and 1880, Sarah and Joseph divorced and the children remained with Sarah and they moved from Danbury to Bridgeport, Connecticut. No record of their divorce has been found. Bridgeport city directories list Sarah as the widow of Joseph, however he remained in Danbury. Sarah died December 31, 1901 and is buried in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

The Woman's Land Syndicate, of Chicago, sought a real estate project developed and managed by women, but ultimately failed.

The Syndicate was formed in 1892 by Rose A. Emmons (1835-1906), a leader in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). It purchased $500,000 worth of lots in South Waukegan, Illinois, farmland that had recently become an important railroad junction and was attracting industrial plants. In keeping with temperance principles, the sale and distribution of liquor was prohibited. Additionally, key attractions to the development were to be ample landscaping and green space, with brochures advertising that "eighty acres of the most valuable land in the city has been dedicated as a public park, and thousands of dollars are to be expended out of private funds to beautify it."

The Syndicate ran into problems by the end of 1893. The real estate boom of 1892 had quickly burst. The depression of 1893-1896 prevented quick resale of the lots, and Syndicate investors were liable for further payments for taxes. Additionally, E.J. Grey of Medina, Ohio, filed a bill declaring the Syndicate was "a scheme devised for the purpose of enriching the defendants [Emmons and others] by cheating innocent women through the influence of persons widely known to be prominent in temperance and religious circles." Over one thousand women from across the country purchased lots, which ultimately ended in foreclosure in March 1900 as mortgages were more than the land was worth.