Carl Gerlinger, Sr. was an American businessperson in the U.S. state of Oregon in the early 20th century. A cousin of notable lumberman George T. Gerlinger, Carl was born in on March 28, 1878 to George and Matline Gerlinger in Neuwiller-les-Saverne, Alsace-Lorraine Germany. He was raised in France. In 1901, Carl went to the US as an engineer aboard a Hamburg-American Line ship. When it docked in Tacoma, Washington, Carl was taken to the Tacoma Hospital suffering from malaria. Louis Gerlinger, Sr., Carl's uncle, persuaded Carl to make his home in Portland, Oregon. There he worked for the Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation Co. (OWR&N). In 1902, Carl moved to Dallas, Oregon to work for the Salem, Falls City and Western Railway (SFC&W) owned by his uncle Louis.