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Carter, Arkansas facts for kids

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Carter, Arkansas
Historical unincorporated community
Carter, Arkansas is located in Arkansas
Carter, Arkansas
Carter, Arkansas
Location in Arkansas
Country  United States
State  Arkansas
County Washington
Township White River
Elevation
407 m (1,335 ft)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
72701
Area code(s) 479
GNIS feature ID 65300

Carter was a small, unincorporated community located in Washington County, Arkansas, in the United States. An unincorporated community is a place that doesn't have its own local government, like a city or town. Instead, it's usually governed by the county.

This community existed from around 1960 to 2018. You could find Carter on Arkansas Highway 74, nestled between two other places called Arnett and Sulphur City. Over time, Carter was also known by a few other names, including Carter's Store, Carter Store, and even Hicks.

The Story of Carter's Name

The name "Carter" comes from a person named John C. Carter. He was the very first postmaster for the area. A postmaster is the person in charge of a local post office. It was common for communities to be named after important early settlers or officials like John C. Carter.

A Busy Post Office History

Even though the community itself was small, it had a post office for many years. This post office operated from 1875 all the way until 1953. During its time, the post office served the community under all the different names Carter was known by, including Carter's Store and Hicks. Having a post office was really important for small communities back then. It was how people sent and received letters, packages, and stayed connected to the outside world.

What is a Ghost Town?

Carter is now considered a ghost town. A ghost town is a place that used to have people living and working there, but for some reason, everyone left. This can happen when industries close, roads change, or people move to bigger cities. While Carter might not have many buildings left, its history as a small community in Arkansas is still remembered.

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