Caldwell County MO Archives History .....GEORGE W. HASTINGS, HAMILTON GROCER  
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Karen Walker khw4@yahoo.com September 8, 2008, 4:10 pm

GEORGE W. HASTINGS, HAMILTON GROCER OF THE SEVENTIES
	Narrators:  Frank Hooker, 72, Hamilton and others

     Mr. Hastings' grocery store was located at the north end of a block of a 
two story frames on the west side of Broadway, just south of the tracks.  At 
the time when he located there, it seemed possible that Broadway would be the 
future Main street of Hamilton.  There on his side were A.G. Howard (formerly 
Ressigeau) drugs, next south was A.B. Nash produce store; south across the 
road was Wm. McCoy general store.  On the opposite side of the street south of 
the depot was the Clark sisters Millinery store, then a small shop or two 
changing hands, then O.O. Brown dry goods and then the Harry House (formerly 
Broadway Hotel), and still south on the other side of road was Mrs. Dwight's 
millinery.
     North of the tracks were Thornton livery, and in the old Davis building 
just north of the depot, up to 1870, there was always something reputable.  It 
did look as if Broadway might turn into a business street instead of a 
residence one.
     But to go back to Mr. Hastings. He was much more than a grocer in 
Hamilton.  He entered actively into the social life.  Minnie Ogden tells what 
a wonderful dancer he was, and how he would take the young girls out on the 
floor to dance when the new brick school was finished and they had not yet set 
the desks in.  He was a fine looker and had many friends.  When his first wife 
died after a long period of invalidism, he took her body back east to bury 
her.  His second wife was a divorcee, Mrs. Julia Buster, daughter of Henry 
Britt.  Her first husband was Sam Buster and after Mr. Hasting's death, she 
married Will Withers of Liberty.  She was a strikingly beautiful woman, and 
played a leading part in Hamilton society for many years.  Mr. Hastings had no 
children but left an adopted daughter, Minnie Hastings, who inherited part of 
his estate.
     The Hastings family lived in a house on Mill (Berry) street which was 
afterwards sold to the Dr. Brown family and later to the Dr. Daley family.  
The old house was remodelled by Dr. Daley into his present colonial home.  He 
owned a building on south Main, present Advocate-Hamiltonian building; at his 
death, this fell to Minnie and at her death to his relatives in the east.  He 
was taken back for burial.
     Mr. Hastings was a keen shot and once while hunting with two Daviess 
county friends a little north of Hamilton, they shot a deer, possibly the last 
deer killed in these parts.  It was a great deed to tell about, till the 
Daviess county officers heard of it, and since the hunters had killed a deer 
after the deer season had closed, they were fined about $20 a piece.
     He died in the early 80s.
     Interview  1934.
 
	SENATOR SETH YOUNG COMPARES GOING TO C


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