J C Witherspoon Jr

About forestry service, 29046, Elliott, SC, US, South Carolina

Alcolu is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Clarendon County, South Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 429. Alcolu has a post office with ZIP code 29001, which opened on August 17, 1888. It developed as a lumber and mill town. == History == === Early History === Alcolu was established between 1885 and 1890 by D.W. Alderman as a company mill town; it was developed to house the employees of his timber company and lumber mill. These were located in a relatively isolated area. The name Alcolu is derived from "AL" for Alderman, "CO" for Coldwell (a friend), and "LU" for Lula, then the only daughter of D.W. Alderman and his wife. When it was built, Alcolu was a company town where everybody worked in one of the various businesses of D.W. Alderman & Sons. The business grew to encompass logging operations, a saw mill, planing mill, hosiery mill, flooring mill, and extensive farming and cattle ranching. They also ran a cotton gin, hotel, company store, and several other businesses.