Monowi, Nebraska

History

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Monowi was platted in 1902 following the extension of the Mason, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad to the area. A post office was established in Monowi in 1902 and operated until its closure in 1967.

Monowi reached its peak population in the 1930s, when approximately 150 people lived in the village. Like many other small communities in the Great Plains, it lost its younger residents to larger cities that were experiencing growth and offering better employment opportunities.

During the 2000 census, the village recorded a total population of two, consisting of a married couple, Rudy and Elsie Eiler. Rudy died in 2004, leaving his wife as the village's sole resident. In this role, she serves as mayor and issued herself a liquor license. She is also required to submit an annual municipal road plan to maintain state funding for the village's four streetlights.

Although the village is nearly abandoned, it does have a bar called the Monowi Tavern, operated by Eiler for passing travelers and tourists. She also maintains Rudy's Library, a collection of approximately 5,000 volumes established in memory of her late husband.

In 2018, the village was featured in commercials for Arby's and Prudential Financial. The village was also used as a starting place for the biggest advertisement poster in the world, which was finished on June 13, 2018.

Census data

After the 1990 census, Eiler noticed that Monowi's population had been miscounted and contacted radio broadcaster Paul Harvey to publicize the error. During the 2020 census, preliminary information appeared to show that Monowi's population had increased to two. However, Eiler denied that anyone had moved into the town, and a spokesperson for the United States Census Bureau explained that the alleged second resident was the result of "noise... add[ed] to the [census] data," in which some individuals are listed in a bordering tract to protect the anonymity of census respondents.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.21 sqmi, 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 7 mi away. Omaha, the largest city in the region, is located approximately 195 mi southeast.

Demographics

As of 2010, only one person lived in Monowi: a white female named Elsie Eiler, born 1933, living alone in one of the town's three housing units, the others unoccupied.

Education

The area is within Boyd County Public Schools. The area was previously within the Lynch Public Schools district in Lynch. The Lynch district consolidated into the Boyd County district in June 2017.

References

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau.
2. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
3. {{GNIS. 2399382
4. (May 2, 2020). "Welcome to Monowi, Nebraska: population 1". BBC.
5. (31 March 2017). "This 83-Year-Old Woman Is the Mayor, Bartender, Librarian and Sole Resident of Monowi".
6. "Monowi village, Nebraska". United States Census Bureau.
7. (August 22, 2021). "Second resident of Nebraska's one-person town just a figment of Census Bureau's imagination". Lincoln Journal-Star.
8. Bright, William. (2004). "Native American Placenames of the United States". University of Oklahoma Press.
9. 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".
10. Fitzpatrick, Lillian L.. (1960). "Nebraska Place-Names". University of Nebraska Press.
11. United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing".
12. "Monowi, Boyd County". University of Nebraska.
13. "Boyd County". Jim Forte Postal History.
14. "Monowi, Nebraska, America's smallest town is run by its single citizen/mayor/librarian/bartender.".
15. Macuha, Marhgil. (May 6, 2011). "Elsie Eiler, The Lone Resident of Monowi Town in Nebraska". Batangas Today.
16. Reid, Tim. (February 19, 2005). "Introducing the mayor of Monowi: (population: 1)". [[The Times]].
17. (24 June 2022). "The Last Resident of Monowi". The New York Times.
18. (September 16, 2018). "The State of the US {{!}} – America's Smallest Town Monowi, NE". [[Prudential Financial]].
19. (June 13, 2018). "Largest Advertising Poster". [[Guinness World Records]].
20. Jenkins, Nate. (March 6, 2010). "Tiny Towns Tell Census: Get it Right". Seattle Times.
21. "US Gazetteer files 2010". [[United States Census Bureau]].
22. (2009). "The Road Atlas". [[Rand McNally]].
23. Michels, Chris. (1997). "Latitude/Longitude Distance Calculation". [[Northern Arizona University]].
24. U.S. Board on Geographic Names. (March 9, 1979). "Feature Detail Report for: Omaha". [[United States Geological Survey]].
25. "2010 Demographic Profile Data – Monowi village, Nebraska". [[United States Census Bureau]].
26. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Boyd County, NE". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
27. "SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Boyd County, NE". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
28. "Boyd County Schools". [[Nebraska Department of Education]].