Oral history interview with John Ledford, January 3, 2001 [electronic resource] : interview K-0251, Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007).
John Ledford, the sheriff of Madison County, NC, describes his job and the changing role of county sheriff in a growing area. His job requires an understanding of the personal dynamics of the county, and many of its residents expect personal service. But Madison County is growing, and its growth is changing Ledford's job. In this interview, he describes the growing conflict between new arrivals and longtime residents; the political aspects of his position; the effects of a new highway corridor that brings business, but also crime, to the area; and the increasing complexity of a job that was once local and personal. In doing so, Ledford reveals his drive to keep pace with change and his regret that Madison County cannot remain the wooded paradise of his youth. This interview offers a thoughtful look at the challenges small communities face, caught up in an increasingly connected nation.
Electronic resources
Record details
- Edition: Electronic edition
- Publisher: [Chapel Hill, N.C.] : University Library, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2007.
Content descriptions
- General Note:
- Duration: 01:33:49.Interview participants: John Ledford, interviewee; Brenda, interviewee; Rob Amberg, interviewer.Text encoded by Jennifer Joyner. Sound recordings digitized by Aaron Smithers.This electronic edition is part of the UNC-Chapel Hill digital library, Documenting the American South. It is a part of the collection Oral histories of the American South.Title from menu page (viewed on November 20, 2008).
- Type of Computer File or Data Note:
- Text (HTML and XML/TEI source file) and audio (MP3); 2 files: ca. 172 kilobytes, 171 megabytes.
- Original Version Note:
- Original version: Southern Oral History Program Collection, (#4007), Series K, Southern communities, interview K-0251, Manuscripts Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Transcribed by L. Altizer. Original transcript: 52 p.
- Funding Information Note:
- Funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services supported the electronic publication of this interview.
- System Details Note:
- Mode of access: World Wide Web.System requirements: Web browser with Javascript enabled and multimedia player.
Search for related items by subject
- Subject:
- Ledford, John, 1965- > Interviews.
Ponder, E. Y. (Elymas Yates), 1909-2001.
Police administration > North Carolina > Madison County.
Police-community relations > North Carolina > Madison County.
Sheriffs > Political aspects > North Carolina > Madison County.
Sheriffs > North Carolina > Madison County > Interviews.
Social change > North Carolina > Madison County.
Madison County (N.C.) > Economic conditions.
Madison County (N.C.) > Social life and customs. - Genre:
- Oral histories.
