The Northern Pacific Railroad steamed through the Yellowstone Basin in 1883, passing the small agricultural community of Carlton. The town was renamed Laurel, and a post office opened there in 1886. The Rocky Fork Railroad, an affiliate of the Northern Pacific, built a branch line to Red Lodge in 1889. The new Laurel was laid out as a typical railroad town, and businesses sprang up along Main Street parallel to the tracks. In 1906, Laurel incorporated. The Laurel Sentinel proudly invited the world to "watch Laurel grow," while boosters urged investors to come to Laurel, where "a sure thing" awaited them. By 1914, the Northern Pacific, Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, and the Great Northern railroad converged at Laurel. The town became the leading terminal between St. Paul, Minnesota and Seattle, Washington.