Monowi, Nebraska
Encyclopedia
Monowi is a village
in Boyd County
, Nebraska
, United States
. The village is notable because according to the 2010 census
, it has a population of just one person. The only remaining resident of the village is Elsie Eiler.
, the village had a total population
of 2; only one married couple, Rudy and Elsie Eiler, lived there. Mr. Eiler 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.
Although the village is nearly abandoned, it does have the 5,000-volume Rudy's Library, founded in memory of Mr. Eiler and maintained by Mrs. Eiler. In addition, Mrs. Eiler runs a tavern in Monowi and draws regular customers from as far as 80 miles away.
Elsie and "Rudy's Library" were shown on the Today show on May 31, 2005.
Elsie and the "Monowi Tavern" were featured on CBS Sunday Morning
on October 29, 2006, and again on August 12, 2007.
Elsie, the village, the tavern, and library were featured on an episode of Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy
, where Larry announced on a radio show that he was having a hotdog roast that very day to help raise money for Elsie's village. Within an hour people began to arrive and over a thousand people showed up for the roast to help Elsie. It aired April 12 and May 7, 2011, on The History Channel.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all land.
of 2000, there was one married couple living in the village. Both were white and above 65, and their median age was 67 years. Their household income was $11,250, or $6,167 per capita. The population density
was 9.4 people per square mile (3.7/km²). There were 4 housing units at an average density of 18.8 per square mile (7.4/km²).
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Boyd County
Boyd County, Nebraska
Boyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of 2010, the population is 2,099. Its county seat is Butte.In the Nebraska license plate system, Boyd County is represented by the prefix 63 .-Geography:According to the U.S...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The village is notable because according to the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
, it has a population of just one person. The only remaining resident of the village is Elsie Eiler.
Overview
Monowi's peak years were in the 1930s, when it had a population of 150. 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 censusUnited States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, the village had a total population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 2; only one married couple, Rudy and Elsie Eiler, lived there. Mr. Eiler died in 2004, leaving his wife as the only remaining resident. In this capacity, she acts as Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, granting herself a liquor license
Liquor license
-Alberta:In Alberta, liquor licences are issued by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.-United Kingdom:Throughout the United Kingdom, the sale of alcohol is restricted—pubs, restaurants, shops and other premises must be licensed by the local authority. The individual responsible for the...
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.
Although the village is nearly abandoned, it does have the 5,000-volume Rudy's Library, founded in memory of Mr. Eiler and maintained by Mrs. Eiler. In addition, Mrs. Eiler runs a tavern in Monowi and draws regular customers from as far as 80 miles away.
Elsie and "Rudy's Library" were shown on the Today show on May 31, 2005.
Elsie and the "Monowi Tavern" were featured on CBS Sunday Morning
CBS News Sunday Morning
CBS News Sunday Morning is an American television news magazine program created by Robert Northshield and original host Charles Kuralt. The program has aired continuously since January 28, 1979 on the CBS Television Network, airing in the Eastern US on Sunday from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m...
on October 29, 2006, and again on August 12, 2007.
Elsie, the village, the tavern, and library were featured on an episode of Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy
Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy
Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy is a reality TV show on the History Channel. On January 26, 2010, the TV channel History announced it was ordering a series starring Larry the Cable Guy, titled Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy, It premiered on February 8, 2011...
, where Larry announced on a radio show that he was having a hotdog roast that very day to help raise money for Elsie's village. Within an hour people began to arrive and over a thousand people showed up for the roast to help Elsie. It aired April 12 and May 7, 2011, on The History Channel.
Geography
Monowi is located at 42°49′44"N 98°19′45"W (42.828970, -98.329141).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there was one married couple living in the village. Both were white and above 65, and their median age was 67 years. Their household income was $11,250, or $6,167 per capita. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 9.4 people per square mile (3.7/km²). There were 4 housing units at an average density of 18.8 per square mile (7.4/km²).
External links
- The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
: Introducing the mayor of Monowi: (population: 1) - Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
: Pop.: 1 Plus 5,000 Volumes - Yahoo! News: Spirit of 5,000-book library enlivens ghostly hamlet of 1 (archive)
- The Sunday World-Herald: State's Smallest Town Holds Onto Status (written while Rudy Eiler was still alive)
- The Observer: Population 1: the town that's been reclaimed by the prairie