Farr Alpaca F.C.

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Farr Alpaca F.C. was an early twentieth-century American soccer team sponsored by the Farr Alpaca textile mill of Holyoke, Massachusetts. The team competed in amateur leagues in western Massachusetts, but experienced some success in national competitions.

Farr Alpaca F.C. played in the Western Massachusetts League beginning in 1909. They made it to the second round of the 1913 American Cup where they lost to Bridgeport F.C. Regarding the 1914 American Cup, a May 9, 1914 Bethlehem Globe article stated, “Bethlehems was ordered to play the strong Farr Alpaca F. C. of Holyoke, Mass., three times champions of Mass.” Despite the plaudits, Bethlehem Steel easily dispatched Farr Alpaca in the second round of the cup. [1] They also lost in the first round of the 1914 National Challenge Cup to New Bedford F.C. [2] In 1915, it lost in the third round of the 1915 American Cup, losing again to Bethlehem Steel. [3] The team continued to compete until at least 1920 when it was paired with United Shoe in the first round of the 1921 National Challenge Cup. [4]

Honors

Massachusetts State Cup

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farr Alpaca Company</span>

The Farr Alpaca Company was a Canadian and subsequently American textile manufacturer specializing in alpaca and mohair worsted woolen products. Established initially in 1864 as the Randall Farr Company in Hespeler, Ontario, the company was subsequently moved to Holyoke, Massachusetts to avoid tariffs brought on by the Wool and Woolens Act of 1867, and was established as the Farr Alpaca Company in 1874. The Farr family managed to build the company into a dominant brand in the woolen goods market in large part by relying on secrecy; rather than patenting machinery, the company would make use of machine shops with familial ties in the city, paying laborers well and keeping knowledge of components limited across units, such that no one worker could completely duplicate their processes. By the beginning of the 20th century the company had the largest alpaca woolen mill in the world and was a dominant producer in its industry. Unable to adapt to a changing market, the company eventually ceased production in 1939, and was formally dissolved by 1942. The company is remembered today for its role in the creation of the first professional soccer league in the United States the American Soccer League, as its Farr Alpaca F.C. served as a direct predecessor to the Holyoke Falcos, one of the league's founding teams.

References

  1. March 28, 1918 Bethlehem Globe
  2. "Defeats Farr Alpaca". (November 2, 1913). Boston Sunday Globe, p.14 col.6
  3. "Farr Alpacas Eliminated". (January 11, 1915). Holyoke Daily Transcript, p.5 col.3
  4. September 27, 1920 Bethlehem Globe