Oral History Interview with Richard Lee Hoffman, November 8, 2000. Interview K-0505. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007).
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Abstract
In this interview, Richard Lee Hoffman Jr., a real estate broker in Mars Hill, North Carolina, describes his response to the area's growth, ushered in by the construction of the I-26 corridor. Hoffman is ambivalent about change—he longs for the undeveloped land he explored as a child, but is willing to sacrifice it in exchange for the economic development that he will likely benefit from and contribute to as a real estate broker. However, economic growth seems uncertain, as housing values are rising but few people seem willing to buy. In Hoffman's account, Madison County seems trapped between the past and the future. Longtime residents mingle awkwardly with newcomers, pockets of undeveloped land hide between housing developments, and an expanding population challenges community bonds.
Excerpts
The real estate market is not booming as expected
The spread of planned housing developments
Prediction that road-building will bring change to Madison County, possibly the erosion of community cohesion
Changes come to Madison County, including an influx of new, more vocal, residents
A sense of place in Madison County
New roads let residents leave the area, but hamper travel within it
A fading sense of community in Madison County
Hopes and concerns about Madison County's growth
The necessity of sacrificing the natural world for wealth
Belief in the power of church-led grassroots movements
Family efforts to help those in need following Hurricane Floyd
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Change in the Mountains
Subjects
Farm life--North Carolina
Madison County (N.C.)
Express highways--North Carolina
Hoffman, Richard Lee
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