Population 1: 88-year-old woman explains what it's like being the only person in town

WASHINGTON (TND) — It's an introvert's dream - being the only person to live in a town.

For Elsie Eiler, 88, it's not a dream but her reality in America's tiniest town named Monowi in Nebraska.

Being the town's sole occupant comes with many jobs including mayor, treasurer, clerk, secretary and librarian.

Monowi was a bustling railroad town in the 1930s with around 120 businesses including grocery stores, restaurants and even a prison, according to Travel and Leisure.

Eventually, the population dwindled as farming conditions worsened and jobs were lost due to automation.

When Eiler's husband Rudy passed away in 2004, she became the only resident.

Tourists who are curious about the one-person town can visit Eiler's Monowi Tavern six days a week where the 88-year-old serves burgers, hot dogs and beers. She even grants herself a liquor license.

Her determination to keep the small town going comes with a lot of paperwork too.

As the only taxpayer in town, Eiler collects money from herself to keep the town's three lampposts lit and water running. There is also a required municipal road plan to keep up every year in order to secure funding from the state.

In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau reported a second Monowi resident but it was only another Nebraskan the bureau added for privacy measures.

"I mean, basically I'm happy here. This is where I really — I want to be here, or I wouldn't stay here," she told Nebraska Public Media.