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.
The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County announced the first installment of the Warwick Lecture Series, named in honor of County Historian Rick Warwick, will feature Dr. Marquita Reed-Wright, collections manager for the newly opened National Museum of African American Music in Nashville.
The first quarterly event of the year, which is free to the public, will be held virtually on Thursday, Feb. 25, at 6 p.m.Â
Reed-Wright will present on the museumâs mission to educate the world, preserve the legacy and celebrate the central role African Americans play in creating the American soundtrack.Â
She has a background in education, collections management, curatorial management and exhibit design and has worked with with numerous historical organizations, such as MTSU Center for Historic Preservation, Fisk University Library and Special Collections, and Florida Division of Historical Resources. Her areas of research include 19th and 20th century African American history, 20th