The Okoboji Project
The Okoboji Project Creates Living Archive through New Medium
Stories of the past often shape the present, drawing people of all ages together to benefit tomorrow. This is true for "The Okoboji Project," a local podcast recently created by Ryan Maris and Emma Myhre that’s diving deep into the waters of area history.
Over the past few months, Maris and Myhre have released a weekly episode in their Iowa Great Lakes story, each one featuring local accounts woven together with threads of American history: railroad tycoons and boat builders, the United States – Dakota War, the beats of American music culture, evolutions in biology and countless summer memories spanning numerous decades with a myriad of families.
“The best compliment was when our grandmothers both shared with us how much the podcasts have affected them. How it’s brought their friend groups together to laugh and cry about past stories and gatherings they experienced together,” Ryan said. “Hearing that makes it all pretty special.”
The Vision Behind The Okoboji Project
A year ago, Ryan reached out to Emma with this vision of taking Okoboji history to a new medium. They both desired to capture important historical stories of the area before they were lost in time.
“We’ve both grown up in this community, hearing these incredible stories and how they make this community closeknit. We all have benefited from a generation that is filled with so much passion and has a special place for everyone, who values fun, family and soaking up summer,” Ryan added. “By developing this podcast, we can share people’s stories and their voices with more people. It’s been a privilege to share these special stories!”
Emma grew up in Okoboji and graduated from Okoboji High School, while Ryan was a Spirit Lake graduate. For their entire life, they were both surrounded by family that imparted Okoboji lore on exciting stories like escapades to the Roof Garden or past conversations with Abbie Gardner Sharp.
The two began compiling long lists of intriguing stories and tackled research topics their family members had shared with them. They brainstormed ideas for a name, quickly coming up with “The Okoboji Project.”
“Okoboji is the name that is most well-known and draws the entire Iowa Great Lakes area together. It was important for us to not just tell people’s stories but to also showcase the collaborative effort between us and the value of their voices,” Emma explained. “Our podcast is truly a living archive that shares the amazingness of this area.”
People have shared photos and stories from the past, ranging from favorite rides at Arnolds Park or their best-loved band heard at the Roof Garden. Personal interviews took place with people who often lived the stories most valued today. The primary resources also spurred ideas and helped Emma and Ryan craft each episode with realistic visuals.
For the first release, 10 topics were selected that they felt would create the most conducive discussion among families and bridge the gaps between generations.
“It was really hard to narrow down our topics at the beginning. In some ways, it was like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see which options were best suited for our first project,” Emma said. “There are so many topics that we want to research, and we worked with so many amazing people with inspiring stories.”
For instance, during their fishing podcast, they spoke with five different individuals who had been fishing guides, historians, and event planners.
“They were really good at painting the entire picture in a topic as broad as fishing. It would be impossible to tell these stories without their expertise,” Emma added.
As community members shared their stories, Emma and Ryan spent considerable time looking at primary sources. During the Roof Garden episode, they relied on post cards from 1923 to the 1970s and looked at how siding changed and what went where. They pursued newspaper articles and numerous memorabilia, which gave them visuals to understand how people enjoyed and interacted with this area.
“We looked at the most exciting stories in the area and enjoyed talking to people and then visited libraries and museums. This all helped with our preliminary research and then we hyper focused by talking with individuals with expertise,” Ryan explained. “Every community has stories, but Okoboji history is so fun and special. There is a wealth of history, and the mission of our podcast is to see how it intertwines with broader trends in Iowa history. How we were once an Iowa territory that became a state to how the Iowa Great Lakes has grown over time.”
Their trailer was released on April 17, 2024, giving a preview of the upcoming project and explaining the vision behind the podcast. On May 1, 2024, The Okoboji Project released their first feature: the mythical University of Okoboji and how the concept drew communities together and initially funded essential services. Every week after, a new topic has been released and has entertained people of all ages.
Ryan’s favorite episode so far has been the podcast on the Roof Garden, especially with his personal passion for music.
“I’m a huge love of music and it was fascinating to see how different genres of music were born in the Midwest at the Roof Garden,” he shared.
Woven throughout each installment are sensory details that draw the listener into the voices being specifically showcased. For instance, during the Roof Garden story, they intertwine music from the roaring 20s and share Louis Armstrong’s music first played at Arnolds Park.
“We want to share this wave of new music for that time, transport you back and walk you through the Roof Garden doors,” Emma exclaimed.
Every podcast has similar sensory details, whether it’s the rippling water at sunrise and how the brisk air switches at a new day to the sound of typewriters or cars from the different eras.
Emotion is also captured through the words of each person, as they share their individual stories. The Okoboji Project takes these voices and shares their stories. Listeners can hear the excitement and sadness from the individual’s own voice—the sensation of hearing their personal words.
“It has been an incredible joy of collaboration for us to share how special the Iowa Great Lakes area is in 20-to-30-minute podcasts,” Ryan said.
Emma’s favorite episode so far has been the podcasts on Arnolds Park. Being born in the late 1990’s, she wasn’t aware there were initially two amusement parks. She also valued the knowledge she gained on the Arnolds family, diving deep into family trees and their past.
The more the two research, the more they fall in love with the Iowa Great Lakes area. Emma lives part-time in Okoboji, spending the other part of the year in Princeton, New Jersey and most people there haven’t visited Iowa and are intrigued.
“Living away from here at a time makes you appreciate how amazing this area is,” Emma said. “We are excited about our next group of topics to research and showcase.”
For those who wonder what would happen when walls could talk, tune in to The Okoboji Project, as each episode showcases unique and intriguing stories from the Iowa Great Lakes. To listen, visit okobojiproject.com.
