Novak, South Dakota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Novak, South Dakota
Cindell Spur
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 Novak, South Dakota
Location in South Dakota
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| Country | United States |
| State | South Dakota |
| County | Lawrence |
| Elevation | 4,898 ft (1,493 m) |
| Population
(2000)
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| • Total | 3 |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
Novak, also known as Cindell Spur, is a ghost town in Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States. A ghost town is a place where most or all people have left, often leaving behind empty buildings. Novak was once a busy mining camp where people worked to dig up valuable minerals.
Contents
A Town's Beginning
Novak was founded in the early 1900s. It started near another town called Greenwood, as Greenwood began to shrink. People who invested in the Safe Investment Mine and Mill decided to settle in Novak.
Mining and Growth
The Safe Investment Mine and Mill had a tricky start. Investors soon realized they were losing money instead of making it. But in 1903 and 1904, the Novak mine itself began to grow. By 1906, the mining company had paid off its debts.
As the mining operations got bigger, so did the town of Novak. In 1907, Novak was a quiet place. It didn't have any noisy saloons or dance halls. Sometimes, people would play games of chance in the boarding house.
Life in Novak
The Black Hills & Fort Pierre Railroad even built a special train track to the town. This helped transport goods and people. The mining company built three houses for its workers. There were also several other cabins where people lived.
Novak had a small school that taught six students. The town didn't have its own cemetery. Instead, people used the cemetery in nearby Greenwood. A local creek provided water for everyone in Novak.
Why the Town Disappeared
Eventually, the mine could no longer find enough valuable minerals. It became too expensive to keep digging. After the mining operations closed down, most of the people living in Novak left.
The school also closed its doors. The few children who remained had to travel to Benchmark for school. By the 1980s, only two houses in Novak were still lived in. Soon after, the last residents either moved away or passed on. This meant Novak officially became an abandoned ghost town. By 1974, only two buildings and a large open field remained of the once-busy town.
Where is Novak?
Novak is located in the northern part of the Black Hills in Lawrence County. It was built right next to Boxelder Creek. Today, you can find its location along what is now called Nemo Road. Novak is about 2.5 miles from Benchmark and three miles northwest of Nemo.
