A photo from open sources
“For sale the city of Buford (Wyoming, USA) in a personal property. “This announcement appeared on the Internet in April 2012. This was not a hoax, the city really sold.
Fort Buford
A photo from open sources
Buford arose in the mid-19th century during construction transcontinental railway. On builders constantly attacked. Either the Indians, then the robbers working “under the Indians”, then outright bandits who do not consider it necessary to disguise themselves. In 1866 General John Buford built a fort – a stronghold of law and order in this wild to the edge. The builders of the railway gathered under the protection of the fort, the surrounding residents and everyone else who cherished the wallet and a life.
A photo from open sources
In 1869 the construction was over, the workers left, and the fort stayed and turned into a village. It appeared a store, postal department, school, public services. Wrapped up here immigrants from the East, moving to conquer the Wild West. IN In 1880, the village acquired the status of a city and acquired the name Buford in honor of the founder. The entire population of the city (2,000 inhabitants) accepted this news with enthusiasm.
A brief but stormy story
A photo from open sources
Over a short history, the city was visited twice by US presidents – Ulysses Grant and Franklin Roosevelt. Not every major city can boast even one visit of the head of state! Local store paid his attention to the legendary bandit Butch Cassedy. In that day the famous gangster didn’t get lucky, he was seized than the buffo terribly proud.
Quiet town turned away from big life, people left Buford, the inhabitants in it every year became less and less smaller.
The last residents of the city
In 1980, Don Sammons came to Buford with his wife and son, and the population of the city immediately increased 2.5 times. In 1992, when Sammons remained the only inhabitants of the city, Don bought 4 acres land on which several buildings stood (all that remains of old Buford) and officially got the city into personal property. In 1995, Don’s wife died, in 2007, the matured son left for Colorado, and Don was left alone.
Record city
A photo from open sources
Don became the guardian of the city, combining the position of mayor, janitor, gas station owner and worker, local owner and seller the store. Thanks to his efforts, the city retained its status and soon became famous as a record city with a minimal population – 1 person. To repeat this achievement is difficult, to surpass already impossible.
Yes, there are ghost towns where no one lives. But these are the “dead” cities, Buford was “alive”. He kept the zip code and mailbox. In the USA there are also settlements with a minimum population, but only Buford has the status of not a village, not a village, but cities. Tourists often stopped by to see this. “miracle”.
In 2012, Don felt that he was already pulling this burden. unbearable (60 years all the same!) and decided to exhibit his property Buford for sale. For 4 acres and refueling station with a shop, a house with a garage, a school building and several more farm buildings Sammons intended to bargain $ 100,000
Auction
A photo from open sources
A photo from open sources
On April 5, representatives of 46 states gathered in Buford! Bargaining took place in the premises of the very store that could not rob butch cassedy. The mayor of the city held the auction, he is the owner and he is his only resident Don Sammons. He raised the hammer and said: “one hundred thousand dollars, time!” And then it began!
From all sides it started: 150! 200! 250! 275! 300! Not even a few minutes, as the originally declared value soared repeatedly. 15 minutes after the start of trading, the city of Buford was sold for 900,000 dollars!
An American city was bought by a businessman from Vietnam. Reporters Buford’s new owner said he was immensely happy with the purchase. True he I could not answer the question of what he was going to do with her. Perhaps the Vietnamese bought the American city just out of revenge.
US life
