A town under the hammer

Courtesy: aibob.blogspot.inA school building, a petrol station, a mobile tower, a three-bedroom house with a cabin and a general store and a mayor; Buford town has just this much. Billed as the smallest US town, Buford recently went under the hammer after its only resident—the mayor—decided to retire and move out. The town, spread over four hectares, is situated at an altitude of 2,400 metres on the Interstate 80 that joins New York with San Francisco.

It traces its origins to the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad in the 1860s. Around 2,000 residents lived there before the railroad was rerouted. There were still a few when Mayor Don Sammons, now in his 60s, moved to the town 30 years ago to get away from busy city life. Buford was auctioned for US $900,000.