Carbonton, North Carolina facts for kids
Carbonton is a small community in North Carolina, United States. It's not officially a town or city, but it's a place where people live and work together. You can find Carbonton in the southwestern part of Chatham County, right next to the Deep River.
This community is special because it's located near where three different counties meet: Chatham, Lee, and Moore counties. Carbonton got its name from the word "carbon," which is what coal is made of. A long time ago, in the early 1900s, there was a busy coal mining industry nearby.
The Carbonton Dam
A very old dam was built on the Deep River in Carbonton. This happened way back in the early 1800s. Dams are like big walls that hold back river water. They can be used for many things, like creating power or controlling floods.
Hydroelectric Power
In the 1920s, a company called Carolina Power & Light Company built a special power plant at the Carbonton Dam. This plant used the flowing river water to create electricity. This type of power is called hydroelectric power. It was a big deal because it was the very first power plant of its kind in the Sandhills region of North Carolina. This plant helped bring electricity to homes and businesses in the area.
Dam Removal for Nature
Over time, people learned more about how dams can affect rivers and the animals that live in them. In 2005, the Carbonton Dam was removed. This was done to help the river's ecosystem. Removing the dam allowed fish to swim freely up and down the river again. It also helped the river return to a more natural state. Even though the dam was taken down, the old power plant building is still there today.
