Laurel Park in Henderson County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

The Laurel Park Railroad

1905-1917

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, February 4, 2024

1. The Laurel Park Railroad Marker

Inscription. In 1903 W.A. Smith obtained a charter for a railroad to transport folks out to Laurel Park and in 1905 started laying tracks from Main Street out Broad Street (now 5th Avenue) and 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. Riders paid a one-way fare of five cents for the twenty-minute trip. Since there was no turn-around and it had to go in reverse back to Main Street, the smoking and belching steam powered train, with its shrill whistle, was affectionately called the “Dummy”. In 1913, it was replaced by electric street cars and service was extended to Rhododendron Lake.

This railroad enhanced the appeal of Laurel Park's venues such as 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 WWI, coal to run the LPRR's electric generating station became scarce, and the automobile more numerous. Operations ceased September 1917.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1905.

Location.

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35° 18.87′ N, 82° 29.091′ W. Marker is in Laurel Park, North Carolina, in Henderson County. It is at the intersection of Canal Drive and Laurel Park Highway, on the right when traveling north on Canal Drive. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Hendersonville NC 28739, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Mountains and in Greater Asheville.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Canal (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Park and Amusement Grounds (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Casino (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Retreat Hotel (approx. ¼ mile away); Rhododendron Lake (approx. 0.3 miles away); William Alexander Smith (approx. 0.4 miles away); History & Restoration (approx. 0.4 miles away); West Side Historic District (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Laurel Park.

Also see . . . Portrait of the Past: Laurel Park tram, Hendersonville, circa 1910. In 1903, a rail line followed Fifth Avenue in Hendersonville to Rainbow Lake, where day-trippers and summer visitors enjoyed swimming, boating, dancing, camping and casino gambling in Laurel Park. (Rob Neufeld, The Asheville Citizen Times, June 26, 2018) (Submitted on February 13, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, February 4, 2024

2. The Laurel Park Railroad Marker

"Dummy Line" Postcard image. Click for full size.

via "Greetings from the Past" blog (Public Domain), circa 1910

3. "Dummy Line" Postcard

Credits. This page was last revised on February 13, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 12, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 618 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 12, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3. submitted on February 13, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.