McLEOD (AP) -Trains rumble past 20 to 30 times per day just a few yards away, causing the walls to shake a bit. Years ago the trains used to make daily stops, but unlike the old general store, things have changed considerably through the years. Maybe the store has changed a bit, too, but there are still a few folks who stop by each day to say hello and mail a letter or check on the arrival of a package.

The tiny Ransom County community of McLeod, in the southeast corner of North Dakota, is about 25 miles from the South Dakota border and 20 miles from Minnesota. It is also in the heart of the Sheyenne National Grasslands and it's the home of Sveum's Store, a throwback business to the days when the general store and post office were a focal point for rural communities.

Sand Dune was formed in 1886. The town name was changed to McLeod in 1905 after the real estate developer who was influential in promoting the community. Although the history of those early days is not completely recorded, a few remaining old timers in the area say there was a general store in town in the early days. It was said to have been destroyed by fire.

It is known that a new store was placed on the exact site of the original store around 1920. Its doors have remained open ever since.

John Sveum runs the store today. He's also the town's postmaster.

"It's really something to keep something like this open in such a small town," said Sveum. "I can trace the sale of this store back three times to the 1920s. Each owner was also a postmaster. That's really the reason the store is open. If a town loses its post office, it loses its identity."

About 25 people currently live in McLeod. Locals say the town probably never numbered many more than 100 or so. The only other business in the community is the Sand Dune Saloon, which derives its name from Sand Dune Township, which includes McLeod. The general store and saloon are adjacent to each other on Main Avenue. Across the street is the old gasoline station that closed in the early 1980s.

"I don't know where Main Street is," Sveum, a McLeod resident for 50 years, said with a laugh. "We don't have a Main Street, just a Main Avenue."

Inside Sveum's Store are a few grocery items, post office boxes, a postage scale and other items, now antiques, that were in the store when Sveum purchased it. Among the items are a few faded boxes of root beer mix.

"A lot of this was in the store when I bought it and was actually used and sold," said Sveum. "One wall is just sort of a display of old things that were sold here, pretty much just for show."

Old trophies and a collection of baseball cards and photos can be found in one section of the store. The cards are mostly of professional baseball players Dale Sveum of the Milwaukee Brewers and Jon Olerud of the Toronto Blue Jays. Both players are retired now, but have close ties to McLeod.

Everett Olerud, Jon Olerud's grandfather, grew up in McLeod. His mother was a Sveum. George Sveum, Dale Sveum's father, was also once a McLeod resident and is a first cousin to store owner John Sveum.

"McLeod was always known for being a baseball community," said Sveum. "In the '40s and '50s McLeod always had a baseball team. Around here that was a big thing."

Outside the general store and post office is a tall sign that was a familiar sight years ago throughout North Dakota. It's painted over on one side with the word McLeod, but the other side still carries the Standard Oil logo. On one side of the old store, a faded advertisement for Lee Works Clothing can still be seen. Lee coveralls and jeans were a big part of sales at the general store for many years.

"I've lived here all my life and I've been the store operator since 1980," said Sveum. "I remember when the store was a big thing."

Today Sveum is fortunate to sell a few items a day, relying on his duties as postmaster to earn a living. The highlight of the day is when a bag of mail arrives for sorting or when one of the locals stops in to say hi.

"The reason the store is open is because of the post office. I don't have that much business," Sveum said. "I guess you'd say the town is holding its own."