Meet the Woman Who Is the Mayor, Bartender, and Only Resident of Her Town
There is a town in Nebraska where every official decision passes across the same kitchen table, every public meeting has a guaranteed quorum, and the mayor already knows how every resident feels about local issues. This is because the mayor is also the bartender, the librarian, and the only person who lives there.
Elsie Eiler is the sole resident of Monowi, Nebraska, a town that officially recorded a population of one in the early 2000s. While most towns fade away when their populations disappear, Monowi remains open for business and welcomes visitors. All of it works because Elsie shows up every day to run it.
How Monowi Became A One-Person Town
Monowi was established in 1902 and once looked like many rural towns across the Great Plains. It had families, a school, businesses, and a church. Over the decades, residents moved away as farming practices evolved and local jobs became scarce.
By the early 2000s, only Elsie and her husband, Rudy, remained. When Rudy died in 2004, Monowi’s population dropped to one. Elsie stayed, and the town stayed with her. Today, Monowi is recognized by the US Census as having a single resident and holds the Guinness World Record for the lowest population of any incorporated town in the world.
Wearing Every Hat In Town
Elsie’s role in Monowi is not symbolic. As mayor, she also serves as town clerk, treasurer, and secretary. She files the paperwork required to keep the town incorporated, manages permits, and signs official documents, sometimes issuing licenses to herself.
If that paperwork does not get filed, Monowi would legally cease to exist. Keeping the town alive depends entirely on her willingness to handle the administrative work year after year.
The Tavern That Keeps The Town Open
Most days revolve around the Monowi Tavern, the town’s only business. Elsie and her husband bought it in 1971, long before Monowi became a one-person town. Today, she opens the doors, cooks simple meals, pours drinks, and talks with customers who stop in from nearby cities or detour off the highway.
The tavern functions as Monowi’s social center. Farmers, local workers, and travelers pass through regularly. Visitors sign a guest book, take photos with the town sign, and meet the woman who runs everything.
A Library With One Librarian And Thousands Of Books
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Bkell
Across from the tavern sits Rudy’s Library, a small building filled with roughly 5,000 books collected by Elsie’s late husband. She opened the library in 2005 to preserve his collection and named it after him.
Elsie acts as the town’s librarian as well. Books are borrowed through an honor system, one more responsibility folded into her daily routine.
A Town That Draws People In
Monowi remains incorporated because Elsie continues to perform the necessary work to maintain its status. She keeps records, pays bills, renews licenses, and manages utilities for a town with one permanent resident.
Despite its size, Monowi attracts regular attention. Travelers arrive curious about how a one-person town operates. They stay for a drink, a meal, and a conversation. Many leave surprised by how ordinary the place feels once they sit down at the bar.