George T. Gerlinger was influential in the railroad and lumber products business in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

in the early 20th century. The oldest son of

Louis Gerlinger, Sr. Louis Gerlinger Sr. (25 January 1853 – 9 June 1941)Obituary published in ''The Historical Oregonian'', June 10, 1941 was a businessperson in the railroad and timber industries in the U.S. state of Oregon in the early 20th century. Gerlinger beca ...

, in 1902 he organized a group of investors in

Dallas, Oregon Dallas is a city and the county seat of Polk County, Oregon, United States. The population was 16,854 at the 2020 census. Dallas is along Rickreall Creek, about west of Salem, at an elevation of above sea level. It is part of the Salem Metro ...

to build railroad lines in the area. In 1906, they purchased a lumber mill and several stands of timber. The business's name was changed to Willamette Valley Lumber Company. George served as secretary and manager of the new company. Officers included

, president; H.L. Pittock, vice president; and F.W. Leadbetter, treasurer. George Cone served as director and mill superintendent. In 1967, the company became

Willamette Industries Willamette Industries, Inc. was a Fortune 500 forest products company based in Portland, Oregon, United States.Weyerhaeuser Weyerhaeuser () is an American timberland company which owns nearly of timberlands in the U.S., and manages an additional of timberlands under long-term licenses in Canada. The company also manufactures wood products. It operates as a real e ...

. Gerlinger Motor Car Company was founded in 1912 by George and his younger brother Louis Gerlinger, Jr. as a car and truck dealership. In 1914, they decided to build their own truck with a more powerful six-cylinder engine. Ed Gerlinger, the youngest brother, was also involved in the business. The Gersix was unveiled in 1915. In 1917, the manufacturing operation was sold to Edgar K. Worthington, their Seattle landlord, and Captain Frederick W. Kent, an ex-Coast Guard Captain, investor and businessman. They re-incorporated as the Gersix Manufacturing Co. In 1923, the company became Kenworth Truck Co. In October 1955, the

State of Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

dedicated as the George T. Gerlinger State Experimental Forest. His memorial biography is housed in the

World Forestry Center The World Forestry Center is a nonprofit educational institution in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located near the Oregon Zoo in Washington Park, the organization was established in 1964 as the Western Forestry Center, with the actual bui ...

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

. George's wife,

Irene Hazard Gerlinger Irene Strang Hazard Gerlinger (December 3, 1876 – April 5, 1960) was an American fundraiser and the first woman on the University of Oregon Board of Regents. She is the namesake for Gerlinger Hall on the University of Oregon campus. Irene Hazar ...

, was the first woman on the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

's Board of Regents and an important fundraiser for the university, including for what was then known as the University of Oregon Museum of Art.

Gerlinger Hall Gerlinger Hall is a historic building on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Oregon as part of the Women's Memorial Quadrangle. For the first time, enough women were attending the University that they could occupy their own full quadrangle ...

on the university campus is named for her.UO Libraries, Gerlinger Hall
/ref>

References

External links

Historic images of George T. Gerlinger State Experimental Forest
from Salem Public Library American businesspeople in timber Businesspeople from Oregon Weyerhaeuser {{Oregon-bio-stub