Remote town in America has only one resident

About five miles from the South Dakota-Nebraska border, a dirt road winds through fields of golden barley, leading straight to the center of a town called Monowi.

Elsie Eiler, 84, has lived alone in Monowi for 14 years. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Monowi is the only place in the United States with only one resident. She is the mayor, secretary, treasurer, tax collector, librarian, and tavern owner of America's smallest town.BBCreport

In the 1930s, Monowi was a bustling town of 150 households. Once a railroad crossing, Monowi was bustling with restaurants and grocery stores, and even had its own prison.

As agricultural production declined, especially in the post-World War II period, the midwestern town of Monowi began to “evaporate.” The last funeral held in the town’s church was that of Eiler’s father in 1960.

The post office and the last three grocery stores officially closed between 1967 and 1970. Then in 1974, the town's only school also closed. Monowi's residents moved to larger cities.

When Eiler's two children left in the early 1980s, Monowi's population was down to 18. About 20 years later, just Eiler and her husband remained. And in 2004, when her husband died, Eiler became Monowi's sole resident.

Eiler handles all the town's business. "When I renew my liquor and tobacco licenses each year, they send me the licenses to the town clerk, which is me," Eiler said. "As the clerk, I receive the paperwork, as the treasurer, I sign it, and then I send it to the tavern owner, which is me."

Eiler also has to plan for annual road maintenance to maintain the federal funding. She also uses her $500 annual tax to maintain the town’s three streetlights and water system.

"I feel happy here. I grew up here. I'm used to living here. I know what I want. It's hard to change after all these years," said Eiler.

Every day except Monday, at 9 a.m., Eiler opens her bar. Her regular customers live 30 to 50 kilometers away. They are people who have known her for years. Some of them travel more than 300 kilometers to visit her periodically. "It feels like we are one big family," Eiler said while doing a crossword puzzle with a friend. "Some people who have known me since I was a child now come to visit me with their children and grandchildren in their arms."

In addition to the bar, Monowi also has a functioning library, which houses the book collection of Eiler’s husband, Rudy. During his lifetime, Rudy was known to read in his spare time. To fulfill his last wish, Eiler and her children commissioned a 30-square-meter bookshelf to hold 5,000 books and magazines.

During her 14 years of living alone, Eiler has met and talked to hundreds of visitors from all over the world who have visited the town. She shows off four notebooks filled with signatures from visitors. "To be honest, I never thought much about it, but I feel happy to bring attention to this small, remote corner," Eiler said.

In addition to her two children, Eiler has five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. The nearest one lives more than 90 miles away. "I could move in with my kids and grandkids any time I wanted. But if I did, I'd have to start over," Eiler said. "As long as I can stay here, that's great. This is where I want to live. I guess the older you get, the harder it is to change old habits."