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I’m last woman standing in America’s loneliest town – but I refuse to leave because I don’t want to make new friends

Published on April 20, 2025 at 08:53 AM

AMERICA'S smallest town has a remarkable population of just one – and she's refusing to leave.

Sole resident Elsie Eiler is now thought to be 94-years-old – but she remains a busy, working woman in Monowi, Nebraska as its mayor, librarian and pub landlady.

Woman standing by Monowi, Nebraska town sign.
Elsie Eiler is the only person living in Monowi
Woman sitting in a library surrounded by bookshelves.
Elsie poses in her 5,000 book library – where she's the librarian
Overgrown road leading to abandoned houses in Monowi, Nebraska.
An abandoned and overgrown street in Monowi

For more than two decades, Elsie has been the town's only resident – ever since her husband died back in 2004.

But her life as a widow has been far from lonely.

Monowi has become one of Nebraska's most famous towns due to its single resident.

Born-and-bred in the town, Elsie briefly moved away to Kansas after finding love with US Air Force husband Rudy in the 1950s.

But the pair decided city life wasn't for them and they travelled back to Monowi, becoming part of its tight knit community.

Sitting only 0.21 square miles in area, the town can be found in Boyd County in the northeast part of the state – and is less than five miles away from South Dakota.

In the early 70s, it started to lose some locals as less and less people decided to stay and bring up families in the area.

Other issues hampering Monowi's popularity was the lack of jobs, poor farming conditions, and bigger city development nearby.

At this point, Elsie and Rudy had reopened the Monowi Tavern – the town's one and only bar.

The hugely popular drinking spot – at least in the eyes of Elsie – soon became the town's top place to meet up.

By 1980, just 18 people were living in Monowi.

And by the time the 2000 census rolled around, that number had trickled down to just two – Elsie and Rudy.

Then, four years later, Rudy tragically died – leaving only Elsie.

Elsie was essentially given the keys to the town, and it became known as the only incorporated place in the US with just one resident.

She decided to honour her late husband by creating a library in his memory – marking a second public building for Monowi.

As long as I'm able to be here, this is where I really want to be

Elsie Eiler

This meant there were now officially more places to go in the town than people to meet.

Rudy loved his books so Elsie rounded up over 5,000 novels and put them into the brand new “Rudy's Library” – a 320sqft shed.

As time went by, Elsie continued to take her role as mayor seriously.

Her jobs include renewing licenses and ensuring the town's lights stay on.

Luckily, securing state funding is relatively simple for Monowi as all Elsie has to do is file her own taxes.

Another fascinating quirk of Monowi is its voting system for who becomes the mayor.

Illustration of Monowi, Nebraska, the smallest town in America, with its sole resident and mayor, Elsie Eiler; includes map, photos, and population data.

Woman sitting at table with friends in tavern.
Elsie speaking to a pub regular inside her Monowi Tavern which she owns and runs
Woman standing by Rudy's Library sign in Monowi, Nebraska.
Elsie poses with the sign outside her 5,000 book library
Woman standing by Rudy's Library sign in Monowi, Nebraska.
The library was the dream of her late husband Rudy – a devoted reader

Elsie likes to keep things as democratic as she can which means locals can put themselves up to become the leader of the town and everyone else then gets a vote.

But, as she is the only person around for miles, Elsie has never faced any competition and has continued to reign supreme for decades.

The fact she files the paperwork each year is the only reason Monowi continues to exist.

She also proudly keeps the Monowi Tavern open for 12 hours a day for any travellers, truck drivers or local farmers to enjoy a drink or two.

The town of Monowi, and I guess to a certain extent myself, we have become kind of a household place

Elsie EilerMonowi's only resident

This also allows the proud local to make some cash and meet new friends.

Visitors can try one of her homemade burgers or hotdogs which fall way below the average price across the US.

Hamburgers were just $3.50 – plus an extra 25 cents for cheese – and hot dogs only $1.25 each, as of last year.

Grant Nielsen, a neighbouring fifth-generation rancher, believes the pub is the heartbeat of the town.

1908 photo of Monowi, Nebraska.
A 1908 photo of the village of Monowi
Collapsed house in Monowi, Nebraska, overgrown with vegetation.
A collapsed house slowly being covered by vegetation in Monowi
Interior of a dilapidated building, showing collapsed wooden structures and debris.
An abandoned building that was once a general store and a bar slowly decays
Woman standing in front of a tavern with beer signs.
Elsie is the town mayor and has to file taxes herself to the state to keep the lampposts up and running

He told the New York Times: “It is the community because that's where you go see neighbours. Elsie is the heart of the community.”

Elsie estimates that about 50 people stop by in the town every day – many opting for a beer as they pass by.

She said: “The bar is the town, and I’m the town.

“We’re all so intermeshed, you can’t quite imagine one without the other.”

Despite being the sole resident of Monowi, Elsie says she has no intention of leaving as she knows when she leaves, the town will likely cease to exist.

She said: “I know I could always move closer to my children or stay with them whenever I want, but then I'd have to make all new friends again.

“As long as I'm able to be here, this is where I really want to be.”

According to Nebraska's Natural Resources Districts, Monowi officially became a town in 1903 after it opened up a post office.

Woman standing by Monowi, Nebraska population sign.
Elsie is the ‘heart of the community'
Woman walking past a dilapidated building in Monowi, Nebraska.
Elsie walks past an abandoned building that was once a general store
Photo of Monowi, Nebraska, showing a dirt road, buildings, and signage.
The population of Monowi was 123 in 1930
Abandoned Methodist church in Monowi, Nebraska.
The Methodist church in Monowi is now abandoned

In the 1930s, it flourished with over 100 businesses opening up as the population shot up to more than 120.

As the decades flew by, the town became deserted apart from a few loyal locals.

Today, the town is a shell of its fruitful past.

Walking through the abandoned high street, visitors are welcomed by a run-down schoolhouse and empty church, many vacant homes and overgrown and weedy sidewalks.

Three street lights remain up and running in Monowi alongside the pub and library.

The town's gradual decline hasn't ever phased Elsie though as she says Monowi is more famous than ever before since the population became just one.

She told the BBC: “The town of Monowi, and I guess to a certain extent myself, have become kind of a household place.

“People find it interesting or fascinating or something and I have had people that have been here from 42 foreign countries.”

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