Carson City is named after "Kit" Carson, one of the original western explorers, yet he never visited the area. The history of Carson City as a frontier town is well deserved however. The area was settled by gold rush travelers who decided to stay put, becoming farmers and traders. A beautiful place, much less risky than the gold fields of California. When Nevada became a state in 1864, Carson City was chosen as the capital. The spectacular State Capital Building was completed in 1871 and still stands in all it's glory. In fact, the downtown area is an architectural wonderland of classic design with natural building materials. Nearby, Virginia City was considered the "Comstock Lode", with the largest silver and gold deposits ever discovered. To this day, Virgina City has not really changed much with all the old buildings still standing and being used as they were over a hundred years ago.