The remarkable story of Monowi, Nebraska: a one-woman town
The United States is arguably the most distinctive nation on earth. A sprawling country encompassing many different terrains and regional cultures, it’s a melting pot of ideas and ways of life. While being so expansive has brought specific and complex issues, this giant polity has also produced less fraught stories that elicit a warm smile.
Stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Canadian to the Mexican border, the United States is a land of contrasts, filled with elements that can seem unfathomable to many, whether they’re from bustling urban centres or beyond its borders. This vast and diverse nation is home to a wild mix of the absurd, spanning the social, political, and environmental spheres.
One of the most captivating and heartwarming stories from the United States is that of Monowi, Nebraska. This tiny town holds the unique distinction of being the smallest in the country, with a population of just one—octogenarian, Elsie Eiler. But Eiler’s story goes beyond mere residency; as the sole inhabitant of Monowi, she wears many hats, serving as the town’s mayor, bartender, clerk, librarian, treasurer, and even ensuring the lights stay on in what would otherwise be a ghost town. Her remarkable dedication keeps Monowi alive, making it a true testament to the spirit of small-town America.
Monowi serves as a poignant distillation of its region’s past. It is one of three incorporated towns in Boyd County with fewer than ten residents, a testament to an area striving to endure the passage of time and economic shifts. In the 1930s, Monowi was a bustling hub along the Elkhorn Railroad, home to 150 residents, with grocery stores, a restaurant, and even a prison. However, by the mid-20th century, the town’s vibrant lights began to dim, signalling the start of its decline.
Farming conditions deteriorated in the Midwest after World War II, leading to the collapse of many local communities and accelerating the nation’s economic evolution. As the new era dawned, people sought work elsewhere, leaving behind only memories and structures like the abandoned church and other eerily silent buildings. These remnants are slowly being reclaimed by the land, with brome grass and weeds gradually taking over what once belonged to humans.
Elsie grew up on a farm just a quarter of a mile from Monowi and met her future husband, Rudy, at the local one-room primary school. The couple later travelled by bus to their secondary school, about seven miles away from home. When Rudy enlisted in the US Air Force in the early 1950s, he was deployed to France during the Korean War. With Rudy away, Elsie moved to Kansas City, Missouri, aspiring to become an air hostess. However, she struggled with city life and soon returned to Monowi.
She married Rudy at 19, and the pair had two children. Sometime later, Rudy – who was employed at the grain elevator and delivering fuel to nearby petrol stations – conceived the idea of working on and opening the old tavern that was once Elsie’s father’s. They opened for business in 1971.
Despite it being such a brilliant idea to open the Monowi Tavern, the town had long been on the way out. Bringing it into perspective, the final funeral held at the church was for Elsie’s father back in 1960, with the post office and last grocery shops closing between 1967 and 1970. The school followed in 1974. As a sign of the times and the generational separation, both Eiler children left the town in the mid-1970s, and in 1980, the population dwindled to just 18. In 2000, only two remained: Rudy and Elsie, who were still running the tavern.
Unfortunately, Rudy passed away in 2004, leaving Elsie as Monowi’s only resident. When he died, Monowi surpassed Gross, Nebraska, which has a population of two, to become the only incorporated town in the US with one resident.
Being the sole resident of Monowi must feel surreal, yet Elsie maintains that she is perfectly content with her unique situation. Her duties, however, are particularly unusual. Each year, she posts a notice in her bar, the town’s only operational business, to announce the mayoral election and then votes for herself. As the incumbent, she is required to draft the municipal road plan to secure state funding annually. Additionally, she collects approximately $500 in taxes from herself to keep the town’s three lampposts illuminated and the water running.
As the tavern proprietor, when she applies for her alcohol and tobacco licences annually, they are sent to Monowi’s secretary, Elsie. She signs them as the town clerk and then hands them over to the bar owner, as well as herself. Just in the slim chance that someone should choose to live there, she also keeps a record of the vacant residential buildings, regardless of their evident decay.
Although she lives alone and travels just a few feet daily from her trailer to open the bar, Elsie has regulars who come from afar to check in on her, ranging from 20 to 200 miles away. Some are relatives of ex-Monowi inhabitants, and she uses the tavern as a hub for them all to converge. People also visit from far and wide for the Sunday night Euchre game, and her visitors booked is full of signatures from across the globe. That’s not bad going for a town of one.
Another sentimental reason Elsie is so connected to the town is her late husband’s library. His last wish was to turn his extensive book collection into a public library. So, before he died, he ordered a 320-square-foot shed and boxed up his 5,000 books and magazines, but he passed away before completion. The family rallied together, though, and brought the project to its end, tipped off by a handmade sign painted by the grandchildren.
