Monowi, Nebraska

Monowi (/ˈmɒnoʊwaɪ/ MON-oh-wy) is an incorporated village in Boyd County, Nebraska, United States. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 1. It is the only incorporated municipality in the United States with such a population.[7][8] The sole resident, Elsie Eiler, is the mayor as well as librarian and bartender, and has thus been the subject of various human interest stories.[9][10]

Monowi, Nebraska
Village
Population sign that can be seen
on entering Monowi from the east (2007)
Location within Boyd County
Detailed map of Monowi, Nebraska
Monowi
Location within Nebraska
Monowi
Location within the United States
Coordinates: 42°49′44″N 98°19′45″W
Country United States
State Nebraska
CountyBoyd
Government
 • MayorElsie M. Eiler (R)[1]
Area
 • Total0.21 sq mi (0.55 km2)
 • Land0.21 sq mi (0.55 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
1,329 ft (405 m)
Population
 • Total1
 • Estimate 
(2019)[4]
1
 • Density4.72/sq mi (1.82/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
68746
Area code(s)402
FIPS code31-32550[5]
GNIS feature ID0831379[6]

According to tradition, the name Monowi means "flower" in an unidentified Native American language.[11][12] Monowi was so named after the many wildflowers growing at the original site of the village.[13]

History
Rudy's Library
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1910109—
1920100−8.3%
193012323.0%
194099−19.5%
195067−32.3%
196040−40.3%
197016−60.0%
19801812.5%
19906−66.7%
20002−66.7%
20101−50.0%
Est. 20191[4]0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]
2012 Estimate[15]

Monowi was platted in 1902, when the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad was extended to that point.[16] A post office was established in Monowi in 1902 and remained in operation until 1967.[17]

Monowi's peak years were in the 1930s, when it had a population of 150.[18][19] Like many other small communities in the Great Plains, it lost its younger residents to cities that were experiencing growth and offering better jobs. During the 2000 census, the village had a total population of two: Only one married couple, Rudy and Elsie Eiler, lived there.[18] Rudy died in 2004, leaving his wife as the only remaining resident. In this capacity, she acts as mayor, granting herself a liquor license and paying taxes to herself. She is required to produce a municipal road plan every year in order to secure state funding for the village's four street lights.[20]

Although the village is almost abandoned, it does have a bar called the Monowi Tavern, operated by Eiler for passing trade. In addition, Eiler maintains the five-thousand–volume Rudy's Library, founded in memory of her late husband.[18]

Monowi Tavern, 2013

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.21 square miles (0.54 km2), all land.[21] The village is located in the far eastern portion of Boyd County, in the northeastern region of Nebraska. It is located between the Niobrara River and the larger Missouri River.[22] The nearest community to Monowi is Lynch, located approximately 6.92 miles (11.14 km) away.[23][24] The village is located approximately 193.97 miles (312.16 km) from Omaha.[23][25]

Demographics

Census data for Monowi highlight its uniqueness. As of 2010:[3]

  • The total population was one (76.5 years old, female, white).
  • There was one householder, living alone.
  • Of the three housing units in Monowi, only one was occupied.

Education

The area is within the Lynch Public Schools district in Lynch.[26]

Following the 1990 Census, Monowi's mayor Elsie Eiler contacted radio broadcaster Paul Harvey, who mentioned a Census miscount for Monowi on a broadcast.[27]

The village has also been featured in television commercials by Arby's[28] (first aired June 19, 2018) and Prudential[29] (first aired September 16, 2018). The village was also used as a starting place for the biggest advertisement poster in the world, which was finished on June 13, 2018.[30]

See also
  • Hibberts Gore, Maine – a tiny community in the US with a population of one
  • PhinDeli Town Buford, Wyoming – an abandoned unincorporated community in the US that gained media attention in 2011 for housing only one person
  • Rochefourchat, Drôme – a commune in southeastern France with a single resident

References
  1. "Registrant Search Information for Elsie M Eiler". Nebraska Secretary of State. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  3. "2010 Demographic Profile Data – Monowi village, Nebraska". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  4. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  5. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  6. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  7. US Census Bureau. "American FactFinder". Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  8. Reuters, Monowi, Nebraska, Population: 1.
  9. Carter, Maria (March 31, 2017). "This 83-Year-Old Woman Is the Mayor, Bartender, Librarian and Sole Resident of Monowi, NE". Country Living. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  10. Francome, Will; Garner, Megan; Stein, Eliot (January 30, 2018). "Welcome to Monowi, Nebraska: population 1". BBC Travel.
  11. Bright, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 296. ISBN 978-0-8061-3598-4.
  12. Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 104.
  13. Fitzpatrick, Lillian L. (1960). Nebraska Place-Names. University of Nebraska Press. p. 22.
  14. United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  15. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Archived from the original on November 20, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  16. "Monowi , Boyd County". Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies. University of Nebraska. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  17. "Boyd County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  18. "Monowi, Nebraska, America's smallest town is run by its single citizen/mayor/librarian/bartender". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  19. Macuha, Marhgil (May 6, 2011). "Elsie Eiler, The Lone Resident of Monowi Town in Nebraska". Batangas Today.
  20. Reid, Tim (February 19, 2005). "Introducing the mayor of Monowi: (population: 1)". The Times. Retrieved July 7, 2011.(subscription required)
  21. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  22. The Road Atlas (Map) (2009 ed.). 1 inch:23 miles. Cartography by Rand McNally. Rand McNally. 2009. p. 63. § E13-E14.
  23. Michels, Chris (1997). "Latitude/Longitude Distance Calculation". Northern Arizona University. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  24. U.S Board on Geographic Names (March 9, 1979). "Feature Detail Report for: Lynch". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  25. U.S Board on Geographic Names (March 9, 1979). "Feature Detail Report for: Omaha". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  26. "Schools in Lynch Public Schools." SchoolDigger. Retrieved on July 21, 2011. See map.
  27. Jenkins, Nate (March 6, 2010). "Tiny Towns Tell Census: Get it Right". Seattle Times.
  28. "Arby's: Big Announcement | Arby's Now Has Coke", Arby's, June 19, 2018, retrieved June 20, 2018
  29. "The State of the US | -- America's Smallest Town Monowi, NE", Prudential Financial, September 16, 2018, retrieved February 10, 2019
  30. "Largest Advertising Poster", Guinness World Records, June 13, 2018, retrieved June 15, 2019
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