Winder Hastings

Winder Hastings in 1859 owned a large amount of land in Delaware and Maryland. He, with Elijah Freeney, gave to the railroad the land to build the railroad in Delmar.  Winder owned most of the land east of the railroad tracks.  Winder married Arerenid (Irena) (1814-1875) about 1837.  They had as children Martin E. (1838-1912), Mary Ellen (1841-1932), Maria Jane (1847-1935) and William Shelly (1850- ). Winder Hastings, besides land and timber operations, also had a large apple brandy distillery which produced a couple hundred gallons of brandy a year. In 1884 he died.  Like many men of the period he had a fear of banks failing and him losing everything, plus there just was not that many local banks.  Delmar would not get a bank until after his death.  . So he kept his money at home.  The local newspaper of the time reported his death as this

Now the young wife mentioned in the article was not that young nor was she 20.  She was Sarah Ann Chatham (1837-1909).  She was the daughter of Charles Chatham and Henny Stevenson Chatham. They lived north west of Snow Hill around St Luke Church.   She married Winder in 1876.  When she left Winder Hastings she returned to the family home that was occupied by her brother, John Samuel Chatham.  She went from one miser to another.  Winder kept his money at home and her brother Samuel kept his money at home.  He had amassed a large sum from land and timber operations and in his old age mainly loaned out money.  In 1915, after Sarah Ann had died in 1909, Samuel would be bludgeoned to death and his money stolen.

above Sarah Ann Chatham Hastings

Winder Hastings, Sarah Ann Chatham Hastings, and John Samuel Hastings are all buried in Parsons cemetery in Salisbury but in different parts of cemetery.

It was felt that not all of the money hidden by Winder Hastings was recovered and no doubt remains buried on his farm or in the mill pond.