What role has oil development played in the history of Carson?
By the 1920s, oil had been discovered in the Carson area and it wasn’t long before a number of refineries were up and running, with oil derricks, tank farms, and sprawling industrial complexes becoming a familiar part of the scenery. Companies such as Shell Oil were hives of activity during World War II, adding their own punch to the increase in jobs in the community and a subsequent post-war population surge. In the 1960s, oil company executives became influential players in organizations that impeded, then helped propel, efforts to win the incorporation of Carson as a city.
