Small town store boasts only gas pump for miles

The Associated Press

CHRISTINE, N.D. -- Operators of this town's general store claim one of the most popular tourist attractions on Interstate 29 in southeastern North Dakota.

It's a gas pump.

Store general manager Calvin Anderson can recite stories about stranded motorists who came up short in their 200-mile jaunts between the largest city in South Dakota, Sioux Falls, and the largest city in North Dakota, Fargo.

"We always keep gas cans here. But you have to buy one," Anderson said, smiling.

The town of 170 people is just a mile east off I-29 on County Road 22, where the first sign reads, "Welcome to Christine," and the second sign points an arrow toward the "Christine Mercantile" and "Gas Food Groceries."

The single gas pump that serves up ethanol with a loud hum is about 25 miles south of Fargo and about 45 miles from the South Dakota border.

"We're kind of in the middle of nowhere," Anderson said.

Visitors can be few and far between. Anderson said residents watch out for each other.

He figures an average of about 25 people buy gas each day, half of them locals. Most of the others are I-29 travelers who usually limp into town on fumes, he said.

"We haven't actually kept a log, but they have come from all over," Anderson said. "We've seen a lot of different license plates."

A visitor from Massachusetts recently drove past the gas pump, Anderson said. "I had to wave them down and tell them, 'The pump's over here,'" he said.

The store closes at 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and mid-afternoon on weekends, but employees have been known to bail out stranded motorists by unlocking the gas pump at odd hours.

"Usually, they stop at the bar because the bar is open on Sundays. And then one of us will get called," said Lori Nord, who runs the store during the day and whips up daily home-cooked meals. "You wouldn't believe how much gas I sell when we're closed."

One time, Anderson said, a teenage employee at the store bought a CD from a customer so the motorist could afford gas. Other people have offered watches and jewelry for gas, "but we're not really at the barter stage," Nord said.

Anderson's long-distance award goes to a couple of missionaries who were heading home to Minot, after spending several months in Argentina. "They were grateful we were open," Anderson said. They told him they were almost home.

Mary Jo Dick, a California resident, found herself in Christine last week after she was rerouted because of a bridge closing.

"This is a neat little place, isn't it?" Dick said. "I like places like this."

Gas prices are usually about a nickel higher than Fargo, about 20 miles north, Anderson said. Because the supply in Christine is replenished only once a week, there are times when the local customers get their gas cheaper than they can in the city of 90,000 people.

"There's times when Fargo's price will go up and we'll still be at last week's price for another six days," Anderson said. "When they have the big jumps, our customers get bargains for a while."

Anderson was one of 50 original shareholders who paid anywhere from $100 to $1,000 each to keep the store from going out of business in 1989. He won't reveal the amount of the mortgage, but said they view the investment as a public service.

The mercantile is in the "Christine Mall," which includes a hair salon, stained glass shop and post office. It's the town gathering spot, where customers can eat hot meals, shop for groceries and rent movies.

Nord makes meatballs every Tuesday, usually with mashed potatoes, gravy and corn. Burger night is Wednesday.

"I'm here probably every day," said Al Otto, who lives a couple of miles outside of town. "The food is good and it's a great place to socialize."

The store doesn't have an ATM, but added a tourist-friendly credit card machine last year.

"We thought we were really upgrading then," Anderson said, chuckling. "There were so many travelers stopping here, we just thought it was necessity to take credit cards."

Gas cans, he said, sell for $4.95.