Stephanie Rissler.
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Learn. Dream. Grow.
When she’s not discussing public affairs with South Dakotans Thursday nights at the FOCUS desk, SDPB producer Stephanie Rissler is typically traveling on and off the state’s beaten tracks. Interviewing local residents for reports and documentaries throughout her 20 years with SDPB, Rissler noticed a theme: folks wanted to talk about the places they knew growing up. Rissler shares the process and surprises from her latest project. Katy Beem: “How did Vanished come about?” Stephanie Rissler: “While working on several different documentaries throughout my time with SDPB, I often interviewed South Dakotans who talked about old towns they grew up in. Some smaller than they are today or have completely disappeared. I told myself that someday I’d like to go back and do a story on some of these ‘vanished towns.’ It started with a Dakota Life segment in 2016, focusing on the towns of Okobojo, Light Cap, Miscol, Crandall and DeVoe. We received such positive feedback from viewers with additional suggestions from those who reached out that we decided the topic warranted a full hour documentary.”
KB: “How many miles do you estimate you’ve logged for this project?” SR: “Thousands and counting!” Though not all portions of the state are included in the documentary, we’ve traveled to every corner looking for remnants and stories.” KB: “How is reporting on a project like this? The history must be fascinating, yet how may discussing the ends of life for towns also be bittersweet?” SR: “Change is inevitable. I never felt sad with the stories we heard or places we visited. I felt honored to have been given the opportunity to look for these old places, people and stories. A few locations felt cold and the history seemed so distant and hard to find, such as Texas Town in Union County, Ardmore in Fall River County. Other vanished locations still felt alive with historical signs and old buildings welcoming us and giving some sort of glimpse into their past. The hardest part is the fact checking. Many stories have been passed down from generation to generation and they don’t always match with other families or historians. That has been the biggest challenge.” KB: “Audiences of 100 and more have been at the preview screenings. Why do you think the screenings have been so popular? Why is this project hitting such a nerve?” SR: “Audiences have been extremely supportive and positive. All the screenings have provided opportunities to hear from folks
