Pioneer Village readies for Peace Officer Museum Grand Reopening
The City of Corsicana and the Navarro County Historical Society invite the public to celebrate the Grand Reopening of the Les Cotten Memorial Peace Officers Museum on Nov. 6. The ribbon cutting will be at 4:00pm and admission is free to the public. “The Peace Officer’s museum recognizes and honors Corsicana and Navarro County law men and a few outlaws they worked to apprehend,” said Bruce McManus, Vice President of the Navarro County Historical Society.
“The museum has been closed for 6 years and undergone several renovations, some of which Les Cotten did the work on. This reopening has been a long time coming and we are so excited,” said Melana Wiese, who has been the Director of the Pioneer Village since March of this year. Corsicana’s Pioneer Village is a collection of 15 walk-through museums which showcase the area’s history from Frontier time (1836) to more modern times (1920’s).
Both Wiese and McManus want to thank those who contributed in ways both large and small toward the museum’s new look and grand reopening. This includes the Navarro Community Foundation who offered grants to complete much of the work on the building, as well as Deb Miller who created some exhibits on display.
“I am thrilled about the grand reopening of the Peace Officers’ Museum at Pioneer Village,” says Sharla Allen, Parks & Recreation Director for the City of Corsicana. “This is a great occasion to showcase Officers service and sacrifice. And to memorialize Les Cotten is an outstanding gesture. I personally knew Les as a coworker, mentor and friend. I know his family is very honored,” stated Allen.
Stop by on Nov. 6 from 4:00pm-7:00pm for a tour through the Peace Officer’s Museum as well as a Fall Festival featuring gun fight reenactments, bounce houses, balloon twisting, a food truck, and more!
Pioneer Village is located at 912 W Park Avenue and its regular hours are Wednesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission and contact information can be found on the city website at https://www.cityofcorsicana.com/995/Pioneer-Village