Falco, also spelled Falko, is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
in
Covington County,
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
, United States. The community lies entirely within the
Conecuh National Forest
The Conecuh National Forest in southern Alabama covers , along the Alabama - Florida line in Covington and Escambia counties. Topography is level to moderately sloping, broad ridges with stream terraces and broad floodplains.
The Conecuh Tra ...
.
Name
The community's name is an acronym for the Florida-Alabama Land Company, which harvested timber in the area.
History
Falco was founded by members of the Florida-Alabama Land Company in 1903. The community was home to a large sawmill, the Falco Bank, Falcola Bottling Company, a 40-room hotel, a grist mill and general stores. A two-story railroad depot sat near the logging railroads, which connected to the
Central of Georgia
The Central of Georgia Railway started as the Central Rail Road and Canal Company in 1833. As a way to better attract investment capital, the railroad changed its name to Central Rail Road and Banking Company of Georgia. This railroad was constr ...
and
L&N lines.
The town began to decline after a fire destroyed the saw mill in 1925. The mill was then moved to
Willow, Florida
Willow is a ghost town in Manatee County, Florida, United States.
Overview
In 1923 or 1924, a mill was built at Willow by the McGowin-Foshee Lumber Company from Alabama. The company leased 54,000 acres of land for logging. James I. Robbins, ...
. A post office operated under the name Falco from 1903 to 1955.
Falco was photographed by
John Collier Jr., who was working for the
Farm Security Administration
The Farm Security Administration (FSA) was a New Deal agency created in 1937 to combat rural poverty during the Great Depression in the United States. It succeeded the Resettlement Administration (1935–1937).
The FSA is famous for its small but ...
under
Roy Stryker
Roy Emerson Stryker (November 5, 1893 – September 27, 1975) was an American economist, government official, and photographer. He headed the Information Division of the Farm Security Administration (FSA) during the Great Depression, and launch ...
.
Demographics
Falco was listed as an incorporated community on the U.S. Census from 1920 to 1940.
Notable person
*
Emory Williams
Emory Williams, Sr. (October 26, 1911 – February 11, 2014) was an American businessman and entrepreneur. He was the chief financial officer of Sears Roebuck during the 1960s, when Sears was the largest retailer in the world. He went on to beco ...
, businessman and entrepreneur
References
External links
1942 photographs of FalcoAdditional photographs of Falco, including railroad picturesPhotos by John Collier Jrat the Library of Congress.
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Unincorporated communities in Covington County, Alabama
Unincorporated communities in Alabama