HEBRON — Auctioneer Jodie McMorrow will speak to the Hebron Historical Society on his business and give appraisals on items brought in by attendees at the next meeting, which will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23. The public is invited.

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The Storekeepers store was the topic of a recent meeting of the Hebron Historical Society. The group's next gathering will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23.

Muriel Cummings Randal of Falmouth Foreside recently briefed the society on her family ties to Hebron and the present day The Storekeepers business.

With roots in the Marshal and Cummings family ancestries in Hebron, she detailed with photos their homesteads and family relationships. In 1923 her parents bought the Hebron General Store from the East Hebron Farmers Union.

Though the exact date of the store’s origin is unknown records show that it was sold by Alonzo Wood in 1880 to Fred Packard. Owner sequence from that date was to D.M. Needham to Preston Barker to the Farmers Union to Muriel’s father, George Cummings, to John Woodward and later partner Arthur Piippo, who ran the store from 1928 until selling it to Arlan and Debbie Saunders in 1976.

The present owners Lon and Beth Francis bought the store in 1997 and named it The Storekeepers to reflect back over the many owners during the past two centuries.

The store also held a U.S. Post Office until 1936. Being at a railroad station until the line was discontinued in 1951, the store had a history of providing grain, fertilizer and pesticides to local farmers along with the basic food, sundry items and gasoline which it still does today. Presently it serves pizza, hot sandwiches, meals, take-out food and grocery items as well.

Beth Francis spoke to the society about a book she had put together showing photos and names of previous owners before introducing guest speaker Randal.