Complex sentence: In the late 1880s, with the addition of the railroad along the river, the town became a small resort town, but this and most industry eventually dried up, leaving the town fairly rural until the 1950s.
Split into simpler sentences: In the late 1880s, with the addition of the railroad along the river, the area had become somewhat of a small resort town. But, by the advent of the 1900's, most industry had begun to dry up, leaving the town fairly rural until the 1950s.