Alco Saw Mill is an abandoned ruin in Vernon Parish, Louisiana that was left when Alco became a ghost town. The sawmill was involved in the production of pine products. The mill was established by Alexandra and the source of labor in the mill was men and animals that were used to transport the heavy logs from the forest before the introduction of the steam engine.

Rise and early life of the mill

Most of the industries in Louisiana began as a result of railroads established in the area in the 1900s. Alco sawmill was established by Alexandria naming it ALCO from the initials of Alexandria Lumber Company. Two logging camps in Hutton and Seiper were involved in the mill's operation as they provided the labor required in the mill. The logging crews lived with their families in these camps. The mill became a source of income to over 300 men who worked in the mill. They were paid 2.50 US dollars for every ten hours of work.

Steam engines were used in various operations in the mill. One engine pulled log trains into the mill from the forest while the other engine ferried workers, horses, mules, and oxen between the forest and the mill. A third engine was used for emergency purposes. Alco had a locomotive repair shop where the engines were repaired when they broke down. The town of Alco was built of blocks with two houses on the first block and the other three houses on the next block and a garden for each individual. 

Electricity was generated by burning chips, barks, and waste wood products. The electricity produced was enough to run the mill and the small town. The town had amenities like a hotel, post office, doctor’s office, and separate schools for the different races that were in the town. Most of the African-Americans worked in the mill where racial segregation was a common thing as the whites and the blacks did not share the same amenities as they used different places in their activities. Celebrations were evident during the payroll day as the payroll of cash was brought by a train with heavily armed guards in the train. 

Life after desertion.

On 7th September 1945, the end of logs cutting was done in the mill. The mill was moved to Longleaf mill using trains. This led to the deserting of the town by workers who went to look for work in the nearby mills. The only operational building was the post office before it was closed in 1968 after people in the Alco community were relocated to Kurthwood. After years of desertion, the mill is covered by climbing plant tendrils. Settlement is prohibited in the area as tree logging in the area was rampant among the community that resided in the area before. The mill and the townsite are currently not open to the general public. Dangerous tools and pieces of equipment like gigantic blades used in the logging process are still intact the way they were in the 1900s. They can be hazardous if played with or not handled with caution.