San Luis
Obispo County
Biographies
DR. OSCAR MARTIN POLIN
The late Dr. Oscar Martin Polin was born in Alma, Wisconsin on September 8, 1878; a graduate of the Alma high school; a graduate of River Falls Normal School, Wisconsin; also a graduate of River Falls Normal School, Wisconsin; also a graduate of Northwestern University School of Dentistry; a practicing dentist, admitted to practice in the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, and California and in Sonora, Mexico. A dairy owner and rancher, he was the owner of one-half of the Oceanview Orchards subdivision, San Luis Obispo County, California; of a cattle ranch in Sonora, Mexico, a wheat ranch in Alberta, Canada and wheat and dairy ranches in San Luis Obispo County, California. He was an active member of the 16th district Dental Society, San Luis Obispo, and a charter member of the San Luis Obispo Elks Club.
Dr. Polin’s father was Martin Polin, born in Zillis, Switzerland, of Romansh (old Roman) descent. He fought in the Civil War on the side of the Union in five major engagements, was one of the early settlers of Buffalo County, Wisconsin, coming there in 1857, and for many years was a merchant in Alma, Wisconsin. In 1886 he purchased a ranch in the Carissa Plains, San Luis Obispo County, California, and from 1907 until his death at the age of 91 in 1931, resided with his wife in San Luis Obispo, California.
Dr. Polin’s mother, Magdalena Liesch Polin, the daughter of a Swiss innkeeper, was born in Schersch, Graubunden, Switzerland. She was the mother of seven children and spent her last years in San Luis Obispo, California, dying at age 89.
Dr. Polin was married on June 27, 1910 to Elizabeth Marie (Busch) Polin. Also born in Alma, Wisconsin, she was graduated from the Alma High School and Milwaukee Normal School, later teaching in and becoming assistant principal of the Alma High School. Her father was John T. Busch, whose grandfather was Georg Busch of Hamburg, Germany, well-known philanthropist and author of books on higher mathematics. John T. Busch was born near St. Charles, Missouri. As a young man he was a surveyor and guide, afterwards becoming an insurance representative for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company of New York. His wife was Ella Burt, of Scotch and Irish descent, whose family owned some of the first coat mines in Pennsylvania. John Busch spent his late years developing the Busch Mineral Springs and Mountain Ranch in Mendocino County, California, on which arises the highest source of the Russian River.
Elizabeth Marie (Busch) Polin continues as owner of the San Luis Obispo County ranches and the Busch Springs and Mountain Ranch.
Their children are Rose Louise (Polin) McKeen, Burt Wilson Polin, Martin Polin, Elizabeth Marie (Polin) Gray and Marian Kathryn (Polin) Bunting.
Family residence is at 1831 Garden Street, San Luis Obispo, California.
Transcribed by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: Eminent
Californians 1953, by Lee E. Johnson & C. W. Taylor. Pages 197-198, C. W. Taylor
Publ., Palo Alto, California, 1953.
© 2014 Joyce Rugeroni.