Neumann Ranch

John Neumann works on an old pickup, Neumann ranch, Cactus Flat, South Dakota. John shot himself on June 9, 2019. He left behind a six-month-old son, Stetson, and fiancée, Tabatha Swartz. The lack of access to healthcare in rural South Dakota was central to the cowboy’s death. Stetson will take over the ranch when he turns 18, John’s wish for his son. (2008) Photograph by Danny Wilcox Frazier Story Summary: Since 2008, Danny Wilcox Frazier has photographed the impact of depopulation on rural communities across the Midwest and Great Plains. Lost Nation documents the slow decay that has turned many small towns into rural ghettos. Nationally, rural communities in the United States have lost more than 12 million people since 2000. The most recent census puts its share of the nation’s population at just 16 percent – the lowest in recorded history and down from 72 percent a century ago. Frazier’s photographs do not shy away from the economic struggles many people in rural communities face due to out-migration. More importantly though, this project recognizes those individuals working to maintain their culture and identity in small towns and rural outposts throughout the United States.