Corsicana Field, Air Activities of Texas

Prior to the United States entry into World War II, the U.S. Government contracted with a number of civilian flying schools to assist in training military pilots for the Army Air Corps. In December 1940 the Air Activities of Texas, Corsicana Field, was authorized to provide primary flight training, the second phase of a three-level process. Construction of the facility on a 400-acre tract of land began here in February 1941, and employed more than 250 laborers. In addition to a landing strip, they built hangars, barracks, offices, maintenance buildings, and a mess hall/kitchen. In March, 51 cadets arrived to complete 10 weeks of intense training. By 1943, each class contained more than 300 cadets. By 1944 8,480 cadets received flight instruction in 37 training classes. The flight school employed more than 550 civilians by January 1944, and provided a significant impact on the local economy. As the war drew to a close, the need for the flight school became unnecessary, and it closed. Post-war use of the property began in 1946 with the opening of Navarro Junior College, which occupied the site until 1951. The City of Corsicana purchased the site in 1963 for a municipal airport. (1996)

Corsicana Field, Air Activities of Texas is a historical marker in Corsicana, Navarro County, dedicated in 1996. It is one of 128 historical markers documented in Navarro County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 218 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.0293, -96.3967 near Corsicana. The nearest cataloged historic site is Hopewell Baptist Church (historical marker), about 1.8 miles away. Others within a short drive include Providence, Old Jones Cemetery, and Thomas Mooney Gravesite.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5349006225. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.