Henry Flagler purchased short line railroads in the region and modified them to accommodate more freight and passenger traffic. By 1889, he was offering service from Jacksonville to Daytona after purchasing the St. Johns Railway, the St. Augustine Railway, the Palatka Railway, and the St. Johns and Halifax River Railway. With three hotels in St. Augustine and another in Ormond Beach, his resorts needed a nearby source for fresh vegetables and fruits, which Hastings provided by his railways.