Caretta | |
Settlement Type: | Unincorporated community |
Pushpin Map: | West Virginia#USA |
Pushpin Label Position: | top |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within the state of West Virginia |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Name: | United States |
Subdivision Type1: | State |
Subdivision Name1: | West Virginia |
Subdivision Type2: | County |
Subdivision Name2: | McDowell |
Unit Pref: | Imperial |
Population As Of: | 2000 |
Population Density Km2: | auto |
Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
Utc Offset: | -5 |
Timezone Dst: | EDT |
Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
Coordinates: | 37.3356°N -81.6728°W |
Postal Code Type: | ZIP codes |
Postal Code: | 24821 |
Blank Name: | FIPS code |
Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
Blank1 Info: | 1554071 |
Caretta is an unincorporated community located in McDowell County, West Virginia, United States. Caretta was named for the transposed syllables in the name of Mrs. Etta Carter,[1] the wife of George Lafayette Carter.[2] It is the only place in the United States with this name.
This coal town was originally owned first by The Virginia Pocahontas Coal Company, then by the Carter Coal Company, and the final operators in Caretta were the Consolidation Coal Company.
Caretta is home to the Big Creek People in Action, an organization founded in 1990 by citizens of McDowell County in order to improve the local quality of life. The organization also boasts partnerships with numerous colleges, churches, and other groups who volunteer in the area.
Caretta's coal mine was connected to the mine in nearby Coalwood, made famous in the book Rocket Boys.
The Carter Coal Company Store was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.