Wyoming Town Sold for $900,000
A Wyoming town with a population of one has been sold at an auction for $900,000. The new owner, an unidentified Vietnamese man, has not revealed what led him to purchase the town, but local resident Don Sammons, has said he hopes he will be able to "enjoy what I've enjoyed over the years."
The one-man town of Buford is located between Cheyenne and Laramie in Wyoming. At its peak, Buford had over 2,000 residents during the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. When the railroad was rerouted, people left the town and never returned.
Sammons arrived in Buford in the 1970s; he wanted to get away from the hectic lifestyle of Los Angeles. He was named the unofficial town "mayor" since he was the sole resident and has maintained the town's buildings and taken care of those who care to call Buford home.
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"I felt my time here has been very happy for me," Sammons told The Associated Press. "Hopefully the new owner will be able to enjoy what I've enjoyed over the years- conversations with people, the uniqueness of the area and so on-and keep the history alive."
"At different times, this has been a community gathering place where you get caught up with your neighbors and shoot the breeze, learn what's going on, who is around," neighbor Gary Crawford told the AP. "I think we may have very nice, new neighbors," he said.
Buford is only 10 acres and includes a gas station and convenience school, three-bedroom home, 1905 schoolhouse, and garage. Sammons has taken good care of his town but is looking forward to retiring from his "mayoral" position.
"My family is gone. Our purpose for moving here has kind of been completed, and now I want to find out what other adventures I have in store," Sammons told Reuters.
"Owning a piece of property in the U.S. has been my dream," the new owner said in a statement.
