In 1903 W.A. Smith obtained a charter for a railroad to transport people to Laurel Park, and in 1905 he began laying tracks from Main Street along Broad Street, now 5th Avenue, then purchased a steam-powered locomotive and passenger car. The railroad was completed in time to bring attendees to the annual WNC Fair in September of that year, with riders paying a one-way fare of five cents for the twenty-minute trip. Because there was no turn-around and it had to go in reverse back to Main Street, the smoking, belching train with its shrill whistle was affectionately called the “Dummy.” In 1913 it was replaced by electric streetcars, and service was extended to Rhododendron Lake. The line enhanced the appeal of Laurel Park venues including Crystal Spring, the Casino at Rainbow Lake, Retreat Hotel, Swiss Incline Railway, and Rhododendron Lake. Designated the “most beautiful natural park in America,” Laurel Park became an entertainment destination known throughout the South as the “Playground of Hendersonville.” During World War I, coal for the LPRR's electric generating station became scarce and automobiles grew more numerous, and operations ceased in September 1917.