“It's out in the middle of noplace and nobody bothers you.”
Anonymous resident of Cal-Nev-Ari, Nevada
When you hear that a town is “selling itself,” do you picture a town rolling out the red carpet to attract newcomers? Or a town literally up for sale? Either way, I’ve got a story for you.
Tecoma Valley in Nevada, which includes the community of Montello (population 216), ran a classified ad last month selling itself as an off-grid paradise—a place where folks can live self-sufficiently without relying on public utilities. If this is what you’re looking for, Tecoma Valley’s the place for you. It boasts good drinking water, plenty of sunshine, and lots of wind. Although you can’t buy a town, you can purchase a big chunk of land. Prices are cheap—$300 to $500 per acre. And privacy is abundant. The nearest “big” city is Elko, Nevada (population 17,430), an hour and twenty minutes away.
Located in the same state, but a universe away in lifestyle, Cal-Nev-Ari, Nevada (population 366) is also looking to attract folks. But this town isn’t just selling its charms, it’s selling itself . . . lock, stock, and barrel. The package consists of 640 acres and all of the town’s businesses, including a casino, restaurant, store, RV park, motel, and mobile home park. This town was founded in 1965 as an aviation community, and still today you can find cars sharing surrounding dirt roads with airplanes. The town started with a population of 4, including the founders’ cat and dog, but in the last decade it’s seen a bit of a boom. After September 11, 2001, traffic was routed around Hoover Dam, and right through Cal-Nev-Ari, for security reasons. But lifestyle isn’t the only difference between Tecoma Valley and Cal-Nev-Ari. To scoop up this boomtown, you’ll have to fork over a cool $17 million. A little too rich for my taste.
What’s in a Name?
· Montello means “rest” in the Shoshone language. In its heyday in the 1910s and 1920s, Montello was a stopping point for the railroad, a supply point for local miners, and a community center for ranchers—a “rest stop” if you will. Montello’s population peaked at about 800 and dipped with the decline of the railroads in the late 1920s.
· Cal-Nev-Ari is named for the three states the town is near: California, Nevada, and Arizona. Not original, but certainly descriptive.
Sources:
Looking for family-oriented to join growing offgrid communitySmall Nevada town put up for sale
Montello’s Wikipedia page
Cal-Nev-Ari’s Wikipedia page
1 comment:
We bought a dog one time from Montello! It is very small, and the soil where we were was pretty alkaline. Maybe it became prettier as you got of the main road? Bri even asked how I'd like to live there!
Post a Comment