Carson, Edward Henry Carson, Baron, 1854-1935, Irish politician. After a successful legal career in Dublin, he was elected to the British Parliament (1892) and called to the English bar (1893). He soon established himself as a prominent London trial lawyer, especially after his brilliantly devastating cross-examination of Oscar Wilde in the Queensberry libel case (1895). Carson was solicitor general in the Conservative government from 1900 to 1905. He had long opposed Home Rule for Ireland, fearing dominance of Protestant Ulster by the Catholic South, and in 1912 he organized military resistance in Ulster against the attempt of the Liberal government to impose it. Faced with the threat of civil war, the government eventually conceded that Ulster should be excluded from the Home Rule settlement. During World War I, Carson served as attorney general (1915) in Herbert Asquith's coalition government and as first lord of the Admiralty (1916-17) and member of the war cabinet (1917-18) under David Lloyd George. He resigned as leader of the Ulster Unionists in 1921, was made a baron in the same year, and served (1921-29) as lord of appeal in ordinary.

Carson, Johnny, 1925-2005, American television entertainer, b. Corning, Iowa. Carson, who grew up in Nebraska, began his career as a magician, then wrote comedy sketches for radio and hosted daytime television quiz shows. From 1962 to 1992 he hosted "The Tonight Show," where the personable demeanor and wry humor he displayed in his monologues, comedy sketches, and interviews were vital to making it America's most popular late-night program.

Carson, Kit (Christopher Houston Carson), 1809-68, American frontiersman and guide, b. Madison co., Ky. In 1811 he moved with his family to the Missouri frontier. After his father's death, he was apprenticed to a saddler in Old Franklin, an outfitting point on the Santa Fe Trail, but in 1826 he ran away, joining a caravan for Santa Fe and continuing on to Taos, N.Mex., which became his home and his headquarters. For the next 14 years he made his living as a trapper, miner, teamster, cook, guide, and hunter for exploring parties. In 1842, while returning from St. Louis by boat up the Missouri, he met J. C. Frémont, who employed him as a guide for his Western expeditions of 1842, 1843-44, and 1845.

After Los Angeles was taken (1846) by U.S. military forces, Carson was ordered to Washington with dispatches. In New Mexico he met Gen. Stephen Kearny's troops, and Kearny commanded him to guide his forces to California. When Kearny's men were surrounded in California, Carson, E. F. Beale, and a Native American made their way by night through enemy lines to secure aid from San Diego. In 1847 and again in 1848, Carson was sent east with dispatches.

Carson determined to retire to a sheep ranch near Taos, but plundering by Native Americans led him to continue as an Indian fighter. In 1853 he was appointed U.S. Indian agent, with headquarters at Taos, a position he filled with notable success. At the outbreak of the Civil War he helped organize and commanded the 1st New Mexican Volunteers, who engaged in campaigns against the Apache, Navajo, and Comanche in New Mexico and Texas. At the end of the war he was made a brigadier general, in command (1866-67) of Fort Garland, Colo.

Carson first became known to the general public as a figure in Frémont's much-read expedition reports (1845), becoming famous as a result of Frémont's reports of his skill and courage. His considerable exploits were exaggerated by his biographer (1858) and, subsequently, wildly inflated in dozens of Wild West pulp novels. A national hero, Carson eventually attained an almost mythic status in the annals of the American West.

Carson, Rachel Louise, 1907-64, American writer and marine biologist, b. Springdale, Pa., M.A. Johns Hopkins, 1932. Her well-known books on sea life—Under the Sea Wind (1941), The Sea around Us (1951), and The Edge of the Sea (1954)—combine keen scientific observation with rich poetic description. Her Silent Spring (1962), a provocative—and in many places flawed—study of the dangers of certain insecticides, is generally acknowledged as the impetus for the modern environmental movement.

Carson, city (1990 pop. 83,995), Los Angeles co., S Calif., an industrial and residential suburb of Los Angeles; inc. 1968. Oil refining is the major industry; fabricated metals, paper, and other products are manufactured. The California State Univ. Dominguez Hills is there.

McCullers, Carson, 1917-67, American novelist, b. Columbus, Ga. as Lula Carson Smith, studied at Columbia. The central theme of her novels is the spiritual isolation that underlies the human condition. Her characters are usually outcasts and misfits whose longings for love are never fulfilled. In her first novel, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1940), a deaf-mute is the focus of a circle of sad and tormented people. The Member of the Wedding (1946; dramatization, 1950), her best-known work, is the tender story of a lonely adolescent girl. Her other works include the novels Reflections in a Golden Eye (1941) and Clock without Hands (1961); a volume of stories, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (1951; title story dramatized by Edward Albee in 1963); and a play, The Square Root of Wonderful (1958). As a result of misdiagnosed rheumatic fever in her adolescence, McCullers suffered a series of strokes during her twenties that left her partially paralyzed; during her last years she was confined to a wheelchair. A posthumous collection of her writings, The Mortgaged Heart, was published in 1972.

(born May 27, 1907, Springdale, Pa., U.S.—died April 14, 1964, Silver Spring, Md.) U.S. biologist and science writer. Carson trained as a marine biologist and had a long career at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Sea Around Us (1951) won a National Book Award. Her prophetic Silent Spring (1962), about the dangers of pesticides in the food chain, is regarded as the seminal work in the history of the environmental movement, which in some respects can be seen to date from its publication.

Learn more about Carson, Rachel (Louise) with a free trial on Britannica.com.

orig. Lula Carson Smith

(born Feb. 19, 1917, Columbus, Ga., U.S.—died Sept. 29, 1967, Nyack, N.Y.) U.S. novelist and short-story writer. She studied at Columbia and New York universities and eventually settled in New York's Greenwich Village. A series of strokes she suffered as a child left her partly paralyzed. She typically set her stories in small Southern communities and depicted the inner lives of lonely people. Her novels include The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1940), perhaps her finest work; Reflections in a Golden Eye (1941); The Member of the Wedding (1946), which she adapted into a play (1950); and The Ballad of the Sad Café (1951), dramatized by Edward Albee in 1963. Each of these was adapted for film.

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orig. Christopher Carson

(born Dec. 24, 1809, Madison county, Ky., U.S.—died May 23, 1868, Fort Lyon, Colo.) U.S. frontiersman, scout, and Indian agent. Raised in Missouri, he ran away from home at age 15 to become a trapper and trader in the Southwest. In the early 1840s he served as a guide to John C. Frémont's explorations of the West. He guided Gen. Stephen Kearny's expedition to California during the Mexican War, often carrying dispatches to Washington, D.C. In 1854 he was appointed Indian agent (an official representative of the U.S. government to Indian tribes) at Taos, N.M. During the American Civil War he commanded the 1st New Mexico Volunteers. In 1868 he was appointed superintendent of Indian affairs for the Colorado Territory. His contributions to westward expansion made him a folk hero.

Learn more about Carson, Kit with a free trial on Britannica.com.

in full John William Carson

(born Oct. 23, 1925, Corning, Iowa, U.S.—died Jan. 23, 2005, Los Angeles, Calif.) U.S. television personality. He worked as a radio announcer and television comedy writer before hosting several television quiz shows (1955–62). As the long-standing host of The Tonight Show (1962–92), he was noted for his wry monologues, comedy sketches, and genial banter, and the program became a staple for a large and faithful late-night audience.

Learn more about Carson, Johnny with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born May 27, 1907, Springdale, Pa., U.S.—died April 14, 1964, Silver Spring, Md.) U.S. biologist and science writer. Carson trained as a marine biologist and had a long career at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Sea Around Us (1951) won a National Book Award. Her prophetic Silent Spring (1962), about the dangers of pesticides in the food chain, is regarded as the seminal work in the history of the environmental movement, which in some respects can be seen to date from its publication.

Learn more about Carson, Rachel (Louise) with a free trial on Britannica.com.

orig. Christopher Carson

(born Dec. 24, 1809, Madison county, Ky., U.S.—died May 23, 1868, Fort Lyon, Colo.) U.S. frontiersman, scout, and Indian agent. Raised in Missouri, he ran away from home at age 15 to become a trapper and trader in the Southwest. In the early 1840s he served as a guide to John C. Frémont's explorations of the West. He guided Gen. Stephen Kearny's expedition to California during the Mexican War, often carrying dispatches to Washington, D.C. In 1854 he was appointed Indian agent (an official representative of the U.S. government to Indian tribes) at Taos, N.M. During the American Civil War he commanded the 1st New Mexico Volunteers. In 1868 he was appointed superintendent of Indian affairs for the Colorado Territory. His contributions to westward expansion made him a folk hero.

Learn more about Carson, Kit with a free trial on Britannica.com.

in full John William Carson

(born Oct. 23, 1925, Corning, Iowa, U.S.—died Jan. 23, 2005, Los Angeles, Calif.) U.S. television personality. He worked as a radio announcer and television comedy writer before hosting several television quiz shows (1955–62). As the long-standing host of The Tonight Show (1962–92), he was noted for his wry monologues, comedy sketches, and genial banter, and the program became a staple for a large and faithful late-night audience.

Learn more about Carson, Johnny with a free trial on Britannica.com.

orig. Lula Carson Smith

(born Feb. 19, 1917, Columbus, Ga., U.S.—died Sept. 29, 1967, Nyack, N.Y.) U.S. novelist and short-story writer. She studied at Columbia and New York universities and eventually settled in New York's Greenwich Village. A series of strokes she suffered as a child left her partly paralyzed. She typically set her stories in small Southern communities and depicted the inner lives of lonely people. Her novels include The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1940), perhaps her finest work; Reflections in a Golden Eye (1941); The Member of the Wedding (1946), which she adapted into a play (1950); and The Ballad of the Sad Café (1951), dramatized by Edward Albee in 1963. Each of these was adapted for film.

Learn more about McCullers, Carson with a free trial on Britannica.com.

City (pop., 2000: 52,457), capital of Nevada, U.S. Located east of Lake Tahoe and south of Reno, it was settled in 1858 and named for Kit Carson. The discovery of silver in 1859 in the nearby Virginia City area stimulated Carson City's economy. The federal government established a mint at Carson City, which later became the Nevada State Museum. Carson City became the state capital in 1864 when Nevada gained statehood.

Learn more about Carson City with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born Feb. 9, 1854, Dublin, Ire.—died Oct. 22, 1935, Minster, Kent, Eng.) Irish lawyer and politician. In 1892 he was elected to the British House of Commons and was appointed Irish solicitor general. He served as British solicitor general (1900–05), attorney general (1915), first lord of the Admiralty (1916–17), and lord of appeal (1921–29). Known as the “uncrowned king of Ulster,” he successfully led Northern Irish resistance to the British government's attempts to introduce Home Rule for all of Ireland.

Learn more about Carson (of Duncairn), Edward Henry, Baron with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, Carson had a total population of 89,730. It is located 13 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, and is classified as a suburb of the city. Incorporated on April 4, 1968, Carson is the youngest municipality in the South Bay region of Greater Los Angeles.

Geography

Carson is located at (33.839684, -118.259588).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 49.1 km² (19.0 mi²). 48.8 km² (18.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.63%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 89,730 people, 24,648 households, and 20,236 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,838.9/km² (4,762.2/mi²). There were 25,337 housing units at an average density of 519.2/km² (1,344.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 25.69% White, 25.41% Black or African American, 0.56% Native American, 22.27% Asian (mainly Filipino) , 2.99% Pacific Islander, 17.98% from other races, and 5.09% from two or more races. 34.92% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Non-Hispanic whites comprise 12.00% of the population.

There were 24,648 households out of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.7% were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.9% were non-families. 14.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.59 and the average family size was 3.92.

Age ranges of residents were 28.4% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.

According to a 2006 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $60,457, and the median income for a family was $66,468. Males had a median income of $33,579 versus $31,110 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,107. About 7.2% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.

The north side of Carson is home to many affluent, professional African American families and includes middle-class, two-story homes as well as exclusive gated communities. The other upper-middle class portion of the community largely resides in north Carson, north and south of California State University, Dominguez Hills, (also known as CSU Dominguez Hills). Prior to expansion in the mid 1960's, the university was located in nearby Palos Verdes. In 1965, Carson was chosen as the home for the relocating university over the communities of Friendship Park, Fort MacArthur and Torrance. Carson is also home to the Home Depot Center which is the home of the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team and hosts the yearly JP Morgan/Chase tennis tournament.

Politics

In the state legislature Carson is located in the 28th Senate District, represented by Democrat Jenny Oropeza, and in the 55th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Warren T. Furutani. Federally, Carson is located in California's 37th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +27 and is represented by Democrat Laura Richardson.

Emergency Services

Fire protection in Carson is provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department which operates out of Fire Stations 10, 36, and 127 with emergency medical service transport by Gerber Ambulance Service. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department provides law enforcement, operating out of the Carson Station.

Sports

Club	League	Venue	Established	Championships
Los Angeles Galaxy	MLS Soccer	The Home Depot Center	1995	2
Chivas USA	MLS Soccer	The Home Depot Center	2004	0
Carson Buzz	ABA Basketball	Veterans Park Sports Complex	2004	0
Los Angeles Riptide	MLL Lacrosse	The Home Depot Center Track Field	2006	0

Attractions

Carson is the site of California State University, Dominguez Hills. CSUDH is a major commuter school, particularly for African-American students from the surrounding cities of Long Beach, Gardena, and Compton. It was established in the wake of the 1965 Watts riots, as a response to community outcry over the lack of higher education opportunities in the largely black south suburbs of Los Angeles. Today it is among the most racially diverse campuses in the United States.

Carson is also the location of the Home Depot Center, a sports complex including a soccer-specific stadium used by the Los Angeles Galaxy and, as of 2005, Chivas USA, a tennis stadium and a track and field facility. It is also the default home ground for the U.S. national soccer team. It opened in 2003, adjacent to CSUDH. The ADT Event Center is the first and only permanent indoor velodrome in the U.S. In July 2007, the Galaxy signed international soccer superstar David Beckham to the team.

The Goodyear Blimp also has a landing pad in Carson, a fitting tribute to the 1st and 2nd U.S. and International Aviation Meets held at the Dominguez Hill Rancho in 1910 and 1911, which featured many blimps and zeppelins.

Oil History

1921 marked the first drilling for oil at Dominguez Hill, on the northwest side of the Dominguez Rancho, site of the famous battle during the Mexican-American War called the Battle of Dominguez Rancho in 1846. The mineral rights to this property was owned by Carson Estate Company, the Hellman Family, the Dominguez Estate Company, and the Burnham Exploration Company of Frederick Russell Burnham. It wasn't long before a number of refineries were up and running, with over 350 oil derricks, tank farms, and sprawling industrial complexes becoming a familiar part of the scenery. The principal leases were with Shell Oil Company and Union Oil of California and the first two wells were located west of Central Avenue and north of Victoria Street. Oil led to an increase in jobs in the community and a subsequent post-war population surge. An average of 300 barrels a day was produced from these wells through 1960.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Public schools

Most of Carson is served by the Los Angeles Unified School District. Carson Street Elementary School, Caroldale Ave Elementary School, Andrew Carnegie Middle School, Stephen M. White Middle School, Broadacres Elementary, Leapwood St School, and Annalee Street Elementary School Curtiss Junior High School,

Carson High School and Banning High School(Los Angeles) serves that portion of Carson.

Although the California Academy of Mathematics and Science is located in Carson, it is actually a part of the Long Beach Unified School District. The school accepts residents of LBUSD, Compton USD, portions of LAUSD (including sections serving Carson), and other districts.

Public libraries

County of Los Angeles Public Library operates the Carson Regional Library and the Victoria Park Library. Both libraries are in Carson.

Shopping

Carson is home to the Pavilion at South Bay shopping mall, located at the Avalon Boulevard exit off the San Diego Freeway (Interstate 405). Tenant stores include Sears, Ikea, Target, and 24 Hour Fitness.

An outdoor power center/entertainment complex called Carson Marketplace has been planned but is not yet built. It is on a site once proposed for a stadium that could have played host to a National Football League team (see History of National Football League in Los Angeles for details). Construction has been delayed by the need for an extensive environmental cleanup, as this was once a toxic waste dump.

Notable residents

• Forest Whitaker, director, producer, and Academy Award-winning actor
• Brandy, singer/actress, lived in the city for a short time in her childhood
• Ray J, singer/actor, lived in the city for a short time in his childhood
• The Game, rapper. Lived in Carson for 8 years between his stints in Compton
• Juanita Millender-McDonald, Democratic U.S. Congresswoman from 1996-2007
• Chad Brown, National Football League Umpire
• Ras Kass, rapper
• Bishop Lamont, rapper
• Dr. Dre, rapper/producer. Lived in Carson for a couple years during his middle school years
• MC Ren, rapper
• Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E., Rap Group
• Ekene Ibekwe, University of Maryland forward
• Tammy Townsend, television actress
• Chuckii Booker, singer, songwriter
• The Boys, late 1980s R&B quartet
• Cherokee D Ass, pornstar
• The Lowclass, punk rock band

Movies/TV shows filmed in Carson

• 24 (Used CSUDH but was referenced on the show as UCSB)
• Reno 911!
• Reno 911!: Miami
• Jackie Brown (film)
• Gone in 60 Seconds
• Emergency! (Station 127 of the Los Angeles County Fire Department)
• Evolution
• Joe Dirt
• Pros vs Joes
• 10 Items or Less
• The Cable Guy
• Certified Gangstas (2004) Music video from rapper, Jim Jones
• Colors
• Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael (Winona Ryder, Jeff Daniels)
• Vegas (portions of TV show)
• Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" Video (S.M. White Middle School Drill & Carson Flaggies)
• Hey Mickey music video (Carson High Cheer)

References

See also

• Carson Community Center

External links

• Carson official website
• LA County Disaster Communication Service (DCS) Carson Sheriff Station
• Carson High School page
• Home Depot Center website