McLaughlins, von Coellns & Extended Family

Earle Reinhardt "E.R." Pollok

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He was an engineer for the Missouri & Pacific Railroad line. His connections helped him land a job as the city manager for Avalon, Catalina. "In those days they combined engineer, city planner, and other jobs together into the city manager job. That way they could pay you something." He was a tall man, and he loved his job in Avalon. He would often walk the town streets and everyone knew his name. He returned to Catalina after World War II, but the army had left the place in such a shambles, he left in disgust. "At the Boos brothers cafeteria, the army had taken everything out of the building they didn't think they could use and left it there. It rusted in the rain and left an awful mess."²

Pictures of the Family in Avalon on Catalina from 1937


Back row, from left: Earle's daughter, Patricia Pollok; Earle Reinhardt Pollok; his 2nd wife Mary Pollok; his daughter-in-law Margaret Moseley Schaber
Front row, from left: Arch Lawrence, Henrietta Clarke and son-in-law Erhard Schaber

From left: Earle Reinhardt Pollok, Arch Lawrence, Patricia Pollok, Margaret Schaber, Mary Pollok and Erhard Schaber

Personal History of Earl Reinhardt Pollok

  • Born in Georgetown, CO, population 1500 ³
    • Father Irving was the attending physician
    • The stage coach began running from Denver to Georgetown in 1867 ³
    • Generals Grant, Sherman, Sheridan & Dent visit Georgetown in 1868 ³
  • Earle attended gammar school and one year of high school³
  • 1892 - 1894: Worked in Denver, Colorado for the Electric Railway to Golden, CO³
  • 1894 - 1896: Worked for D&RG Railway from Surrey Wagon Wheel Gap to Crede, CO³
  • 1896 - 1900: Crepple Creek, CO -- Railways from Florence to Crepple Creek
  • 1900 - 1905: Was City Engineer and County Surveyor in Victor, Colorado. He was elected two times; built water system; blew up dam over Pike's Peak³
  • 1905 - 1910: Worked for the Missouri & Pacific Railway in Marion, Illinois³
  • 1910 - 1914: Worked for the Lousiana & Arkansas Railway in Stamps, Arkansas³
  • October 5, 1911: Qualified as a Civil Engineer in New Orleans, LA, with certificate by the Louisiana Board of Engineering Examiners
  • 1914 - 1920: Worked again for the Missouri & Pacific Railway, now in St. Louis, Missouri. He was Roadmaster of the St. Louis Terminal; did survey of Prescott RR³
  • 1920: Visited Buffalo Bill's gravesite
  • 1920 - 1925: L&G (List & Gifford) Construction Company in Kansas City, Missouri. Went to Honduras and Nicaraga and was there during a revolution in La Carbon.³
    • As an engineer, moved family to Tegucigalpa, the capitol of Honduras, to build the narrow guage railroads for the banana companies¹
  • 1925 - 1928: Was a general contractor in Tampa, Florida³
    • Moved to Florida and sold swamp land¹
    • He noted "Big Boom and the bust - spending spree" ³
  • 1928 - 1929: Lake Hopatcang, NJ at Radio Corp of America³
  • 1929 - 1930: Did real estate surveys in Denver, Colorado³
  • 1930 - 1942: Was a municipal engineer and city manager for Avalon, Catalina in California³
    • December 4, 1931: Registered as a Civil Engineer, certificate #5121 for State fo California Board of Registration for Civil Engineers
    • Lived in San Pedro, CA after Catalina¹
  • 1942 - 1946: Was part of the US Army Engineers in San Pedro, CA³
  • 1946 - 1951: San Pedro Blueprint Company³
  • 1951 - 1956: Did engineering consulting while living in San Pedro, CA³
  • Called Granddaddy by Patricia and Laurie Schaber
See Earl Pollok's notes for his biography which he recorded to reel-to-reel tape in 1956

This page last updated Sunday, 22-Oct-2006 12:19:08 PDT,

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Source Notes

  1. Notes from conversation with Patricia von Coelln March 13, 2002
  2. Notes from a Conversation with Pop [Erhard Schaber], June 5, 1994
  3. Earle Reinhardt Pollok's notes for a reel to reel tape he made in 1956
  4. Civil War pension record from Ancestry.com show widow of Irving J. was Jennie 1/29/02
  5. Earle Pollok's birth and death dates from Califonia death index; record also indicates that Earle's mother's maiden name was Reinhardt, thus Irving J. married Jennie Reinhardt 1/29/02
  6. Earle and Mary Herbert's wedding date of 21 NOV 1920 and daughter Pat's birthdate of 10 MAR 1904 from "birthday list" provided by Laurie Moodie, March 27, 2002
  7. Patricia von Coelln found a note signed September 20, 1941 by Jennie Pollok Ballard saying that Earle Reinhardt Pollok was born Jan 9, 1872. Attending physician was Dr. I.J. Polok who died March 30, 1882. No official records of the birth of my son, ERP. Signed at Denver.