This was a topic brought up the other day. Have you ever noticed a location on an old map and wondered what happened? Nosodak, North Dakota is one of those places—but the answer is nothing! Nothing happened there, according to Forgotten Lands, Places, and Transit.
The Western Townsite & Development Company created Nosodak (a mashup of NOrth and SOuth DAKota) in the early 1910s. The location? Right on the Missouri River, just north of the South Dakota border. The goal was to create a bustling station stop for the Northern Pacific Railway’s grand plan to connect Mandan, North Dakota, and Galveston, Texas. That sounds impressive, right?
Nosodak’s Big Railroad Dream That Went Off the Tracks
Here’s the thing: this was similar to announcing plans to build a roller coaster from North Dakota to Mexico. A big dream with little follow-through. The plan had been inherited from the Midland Continental Railroad, which had laid at least 86 miles of track. What about the northern Pacific? Less than fifty. They only got as far as Carnigan, ND, about 20 miles short of Nosodak’s potential glory.
Nosodak: The Town That Lived on Maps but Nowhere Else
By 1914, the dream had run out of steam, literally. The line south of Bismarck was abandoned, and Nosodak remained a hopeful construction camp. But here’s the kicker: despite never being a real town, Nosodak has managed to remain on maps for nearly 30 years, much like that guy who keeps RSVPing “Maybe” to your parties but never shows up.
Today, Nosodak’s “location” is unknown—possibly beneath Lake Oahe, possibly on dry land, or on the same shelf as your missing socks. There are no ruins, no main street, and no “Welcome to Nosodak” sign. Just a name, a plan, and a slew of what-if scenarios.
In the end, Nosodak could be the truest ghost town of all—one that never existed.
