Excerpts from the 1907 History of Pottawattamie County
Carson was incorporated in 1881, and the first mayor was W. W. Gardner. The first council consisted of Dr. F. S. Thomas, Wm. H. Graff, A. J. Anderson, Isaac Culberson, James Ellis and S. P. Hardenbrook.
In 1907 the city government consisted of: E. T. Osler, mayor; J. C. Bradley, marshal; Frank Galloway, recorder; on the city council: F. A. Bigalow, W. M. Holtze, W. D. Landon, E. W. Rowe and Wm. B. Bodyfeldt.
In 1907 the town had a weekly newspaper, the Carson Critic, with F. G. Week as editor and publisher. J. R. Chaloupka was cashier and manager of the State Savings Bank.
During 1889 the town was visited by a destructive fire that swept the entire north side of Main Street, and again in 1894 a second made a clean sweep of the south side, which was followed by rebuilding with brick as had already been done on the north side.