1. Several of the sources refer to Wingold Manor, Hagerstown, MD. I couldn't find any Wingold, I think it should be Ringgold Manor.

The following is extracted from a personal sketch by Thomas HELLAR.:

In 1843 Thomas went to Petersburg Virginia and worked for his brother-in-law, Alexander Brander, who had a store. He later ran a new store for him. Not making any profit in the store he moved to Illinois, where he bought some land which he sold for a profit. With some of the money he bought some horses and a plows to provide a plowing service. He sold and traded horses and cattle and eventually bought a store which was quite profitable until the panic of '57.

He moved to California by way of New York and the Panama Canal on the steamer Northern Light and Orizabe. He worked at various farming jobs in Alameda County then bought a hay press provided a hay press service. He rented a farm and raised cucumbers for a pickle firm in San Francisco. About 1864 or shortly thereafter he bought 400 acres on the hill called Home Ranch.

Wilbur Haines writes: "The SF City Directories for 1889 and 1890 also show the father Thomas HELLAR as proprietor of Standard House (assume residential hotel) at 1126 Market Street and 21 Turk St and show son Thomas D. as clerk.

Further trivia:
Hayward in 1886, churches were scarce, On 31 Oct 1886. services for a Mission of The Trinity Episcopal Church were held in Luce's Hall, On that date a petition was sent to the Bishop requesting the formation of a church be established in Hayward. Petition signed by, among others, Mr. & Mrs, Thomas Heller. Church building was completed 8 April 1888, total cost $2,200.

He also had a coal mine prospect in the Hayward area (Ward Canyon) that he tried to develop over several years, eventually sold 50,000 shares to investors, ultimately no coal was ever produced.

He is mentioned twice in "The Rancho of Don Guillermo" by John S. Sandoval, re above. He is also mentioned in a book, that I have now misplaced, written about the several mining efforts in the Hayward area, compiled primarily from local newspaper articles of the time.

Lastly, the Eden Grange #106 (Eden Township) was formed in Hayward on 25 Oct 1873 with Thomas Hellar as Master, the Board in included, among others, Mrs. E. Hellar and William Hellar."

See also: Thomas Hellar Pages at the Marks Family Tree on RootsWeb.
Stewart/Dowling at Ancestry.com