Thomas Scott and his nephews, John and Thomas LaDue, bought land here in 1867, built a sawmill in 1868, and a gristmill in 1870, under the name Scott & LaDue. Mr. Scott named the town from his experience in Carson City, Nevada, during its early boom days. The town in Nevada is named for famous western frontiersman Christopher "Kit" Carson. Carson City was the last town in the county to receive railroad service—the G.T.W. completed a line from Ashley (Gratiot County) in 1887. The village flourished: the first newspaper, the Coral Enterprise, was published in 1875. Incorporated as a village in 1887 and as a city in 1960. [Michigan County Atlas]