Around the turn of the 20th century, Hastings began to blossom as an agricultural center and quickly developed into a bustling community.
People traveled from out of town to buy clothes at Carlisle s dress shop, and men gathered at the local drug store.
“You d get your Cherry Coke; your freshly made hamburgers. You d know everybody down there, said Greg Leonard, whose family has ties to the area and who recently wrote a book on Hastings history.
There was a time when it was a prosperous and booming town in St. Johns County, he said. There s such a rich history associated with that area, Leonard said.