You’ll Never Believe How Tiny This Nebraska Town Is

If you think you came from a small town, prepare to be outdone. One town in Nebraska lays claim to a kind of kooky title: Monowi, in Boyd County, is the smallest incorporated town in the U.S.

Wikimedia Commons/Bkell

The term "small" is usually used to refer to its population of one person, but Monowi's actual physical size is tiny as well. The whole village occupies a scant .21 square miles and consists of little more than a library and and a tavern. And the sole resident, Elsie Eiler, is in charge of them both. (The above population sign is out of date. The population on the current sign has been updated.)

flickr/Overduebook

For that matter, Elsie is also in charge of everything else in town. She is the mayor, the treasurer, the clerk, and everything else the village might need. She has worked to keep Monowi's incorporated status by filling out and submitting the appropriate paperwork to the state government herself.

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Monowi's history stretches back to 1902, when it was a small railroad town. In the 1930s, the population got as high as 150, but numbers have steadily dwindled since then. After the railroad was gone, younger generations moved away to find more opportunities and older generations died out. When the census of 2000 was taken, Monowi had just two residents remaining: Elsie and her husband Rudy.

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Wikimedia Commons/Bkell

When Rudy died in 2004, Elsie became the sole Monowian. She works to maintain the 5,000-title Rudy's Library, a tribute to her husband who dearly loved books. If you would like to browse the tomes, you'll have to visit Elsie in the tavern first to get the key.

flickr/Andrew Filer

The town is, in turns, charming and a bit spooky. Homes have been left to fall down and decay. The town's old general store (next door to the tavern) has been abandoned sine WWII. But Elsie, now in her 80s, doesn't seem lonely. Farmers come in from neighboring lands to eat, drink, and visit at the tavern.

Thanks to its size and its seemingly tireless sole resident, Monowi has been featured on television and in print many times. When asked if she will leave Monowi to live in a larger community, she always answers that Monowi is her home, and this is where she wants to be.

Not too far from Monowi is Gross, a town with a population of just two. The entire area has become less and less attractive to younger people who have moved on to larger places with more jobs. One day, these little pockets of good old Nebraskan resolve will probably be completely empty. But for now, Elsie is ready to cook you a hamburger, serve you a cold beer, and sit to chat while you eat.