Monowi (/ˈmɒnoʊwaɪ/ MON-oh-wye) is an incorporated village in Boyd County, Nebraska, United States. It garnered national and international[4] recognition after the 2010 United States census counted only one resident of the village, Elsie Eiler.[5] Although the 2020 census listed Monowi's population as two,[6] this was confirmed to be an example of differential privacy in the census data; Eiler remains the town's sole resident.[7]
Monowi, Nebraska | |
|---|---|
 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′51″N 98°19′46″W / 42.83083°N 98.32944°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Nebraska |
| County | Boyd |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Elsie Eiler (R) |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.21 sq mi (0.55 km2) |
| • Land | 0.21 sq mi (0.55 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,368 ft (417 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1 |
| • Density | 4.76/sq mi (1.81/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 68746 (shared with Lynch) |
| Area code | 402 |
| FIPS code | 31-32550[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2399382[2] |
According to tradition, the name Monowi means "flower" in an unidentified Native American language.[8][9] Monowi was so named after the many wildflowers growing at the original site of the village.[10]
History
edit
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 109 | — | |
| 1920 | 100 | −8.3% | |
| 1930 | 123 | 23.0% | |
| 1940 | 99 | −19.5% | |
| 1950 | 67 | −32.3% | |
| 1960 | 40 | −40.3% | |
| 1970 | 16 | −60.0% | |
| 1980 | 18 | 12.5% | |
| 1990 | 6 | −66.7% | |
| 2000 | 2 | −66.7% | |
| 2010 | 1 | −50.0% | |
| 2020 | 2 | 100.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 2020[6] | |||
Monowi was platted in 1903, when the Mason, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad was extended to that point.[12] A post office was established in Monowi in 1902 and remained in operation until 1967.[13]
Monowi's peak years were in the 1930s, when it had a population of 150.[14][15] Like many other small communities in the Great Plains, it lost its younger residents to cities that were experiencing growth and offering better jobs.[16]
During the 2000 census, the village had a total population of two; only one married couple, Rudy and Elsie Eiler, lived there.[14] Rudy died in 2004, leaving his wife as the only resident in the village.[16] In this capacity, she acts as mayor, and granted herself a liquor license. She is required to produce a municipal road plan every year in order to secure state funding for the village's four street lights.[17][16]
Although the village is nearly abandoned, it does have a bar called the Monowi Tavern, operated by Eiler for passing travelers and tourists. In addition, Eiler maintains the five-thousand–volume Rudy's Library, founded in memory of her late husband.[14][16]
In 2018, the village was featured in commercials for Arby's and Prudential.[16][18] The village was also used as a starting place for the biggest advertisement poster in the world, which was finished on June 13, 2018.[19]
Census data
editAfter the 1990 United States census, Eiler had observed that Monowi's population had been miscounted, and contacted radio broadcaster Paul Harvey to publicize the error.[20] Years later, preliminary information from the 2020 census appeared to show that Monowi's population increased to two. However, Eiler denied that anyone had moved into the town, and a spokesperson for the United States Census Bureau said that the alleged second resident was actually a form 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.[7]
Geography
editAccording to the U.S. 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
editCensus data for Monowi highlights its uniqueness, owing to the numerical singularity of its population. As of 2010:[26]
- The total population was one (Born 1935, female, white, named Elsie).
- She was the sole householder, living alone.
- Of the three housing units in Monowi, only hers was occupied.
Education
editThe area is within Boyd County Public Schools.[27] The area was previously within the Lynch Public Schools district in Lynch.[28] The Lynch district consolidated into the Boyd County district in June 2017.[29]
See also
edit- Hibberts Gore, Maine – a tiny community in the US with a population of one
- 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
edit- ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Monowi, Nebraska
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Welcome to Monowi, Nebraska: population 1". BBC. May 2, 2020. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
- ^ Carter, Maria (March 31, 2017). "This 83-Year-Old Woman Is the Mayor, Bartender, Librarian and Sole Resident of Monowi". Country Living. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
- ^ a b "Monowi village, Nebraska". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
- ^ a b "Second resident of Nebraska's one-person town just a figment of Census Bureau's imagination". Lincoln Journal-Star. August 22, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
- ^ Bright, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 296. ISBN 978-0-8061-3598-4.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Lillian L. (1960). Nebraska Place-Names. University of Nebraska Press. p. 22. ISBN 0803250606.
- ^ United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved June 23, 2013.
- ^ "Monowi, Boyd County". Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies. University of Nebraska. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
- ^ "Boyd County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Monowi, Nebraska, America's smallest town is run by its single citizen/mayor/librarian/bartender". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
- ^ Macuha, Marhgil (May 6, 2011). "Elsie Eiler, The Lone Resident of Monowi Town in Nebraska". Batangas Today.
- ^ a b c d e Schukar, Text by Alyssa (June 24, 2022). "The Last Resident of Monowi". The New York Times. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ Reid, Tim (February 19, 2005). "Introducing the mayor of Monowi: (population: 1)". The Times. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved July 7, 2011.(subscription required)
- ^ "The State of the US | – America's Smallest Town Monowi, NE", Prudential Financial, September 16, 2018, retrieved February 10, 2019
- ^ "Largest Advertising Poster", Guinness World Records, June 13, 2018, retrieved June 15, 2019
- ^ Jenkins, Nate (March 6, 2010). "Tiny Towns Tell Census: Get it Right". Seattle Times.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
- ^ The Road Atlas (Map) (2009 ed.). 1 inch:23 miles. Cartography by Rand McNally. Rand McNally. 2009. p. 63. § E13-E14.
- ^ a b Michels, Chris (1997). "Latitude/Longitude Distance Calculation". Northern Arizona University. Archived from the original on April 11, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "2010 Demographic Profile Data – Monowi village, Nebraska". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Boyd County, NE" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ "SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Boyd County, NE" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ "Boyd County Schools". Nebraska Department of Education. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
External links
edit
Media related to Monowi, Nebraska at Wikimedia Commons- "Welcome to Monowi, Nebraska: population 1" by Will Francome, Megan Garner & Eliot Stein. BBC. 30 January 2018.
