If you travel just a mile west over the county line into Boyd County on Highway 12 and stop by the Monowi Tavern in Monowi on a Friday night, you might be surprised how busy it can be.
You might have bikers from Omaha, local travelers looking for a meal or ranchers and farmers just down the road who pull up in their side-by-sides.
No matter what, Monowi Tavern is not a lonely place, thanks to the town’s only resident, Elsie Eiler. Eiler serves as mayor, village clerk, librarian and tavern owner in America’s smallest incorporated town. And she’s the one serving the burgers.
The town of Monowi was named using a beautiful Native American word for wildflowers, specifically snow-on-the-mountain. While the village has only 1 resident now, it wasn’t always that way. Platted in 1902 by the Pioneer Townsite Company, Monowi developed just as the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Railroad pushed west from Niobrara.
A family built a house and livery stable. This was followed by a restaurant, store and hotel. Eventually, the bustling community had a doctor and pharmacist, a bank and a local law office, operated by a rancher from south of town.
Monowi peaked in 1930, with a population of 123. By the 1950s, that had dwindled to 99. By 1980, it was only 18.
The railroad eventually pulled out.. The post office closed in 1971. That’s the same year Eiler and her husband Rudy opened their tavern.
The last funeral held in Monowi’s church was for Eiler’s father in 1960. The school was closed in 1974. But Monowi’s story isn’t all about closings, but also perseverance.
Rudy and Elsie ran the tavern and kept the community going for those many years as the only residents. When Rudy passed away in 2004, it left Elsie to keep things going - and she has. The community even built a library. Rudy’s dying wish was to build a public library to house his private book collection of 5,000 volumes. He ordered a shed for his library, but passed away before it could be completed. A few months after his death, the dream came true when Elsie and her family and friends completed and opened Rudy’s Library next to the tavern.
Eiler has gained national notoriety from all kinds of media, ranging from ghost town bloggers to the New York Times, because of the unique place Monowi holds among the nation’s small towns.
And in spite of wearing many hats in the community, Eiler and her beloved Monowi show no signs of slowing down.