Monowi, Nebraska


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

History

Monowi was platted in 1902, when the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad was extended to that point. A post office was established in Monowi in 1902 and remained in operation until 1967.
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 census, the village had a total population of two: Only one married couple, Rudy and Elsie Eiler, lived there. 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.
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.

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the village has a total area of, all land. 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. The nearest community to Monowi is Lynch, located approximately away. The village is located approximately from Omaha.

Demographics

data for Monowi highlight its uniqueness. As of 2010:
The area is within the Lynch Public Schools district in Lynch.

In popular culture

Following the 1990 Census, Monowi's mayor Elsie Eiler contacted radio broadcaster Paul Harvey, who mentioned a Census miscount for Monowi on a broadcast.
The village has also been featured in television commercials by Arby's and Prudential. The village was also used as a starting place for the biggest advertisement poster in the world, which was finished on June 13, 2018.