Oral history interview with Richard Lee Hoffman Jr., November 8, 2000

In this interview, Richard Lee Hoffman Jr., a real estate broker in Mars Hill, NC, 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. But 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.