Delta Heritage Center adds award-winning display to Cotton Museum

BROWNSVILLE TN (April 19, 2018): You are invited to take a glimpse into the “Small World of Cotton” when Chester County native, Darryl Cox, brings his scratch-built cotton gin display and implements to the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center (WTDHC). A reception honoring Cox will take place from 3-5 p.m., Saturday, April 28, when attendees are invited to meet Cox and learn more about his 1/16th scale creations.

Cox, a building contractor by trade, collected farm toys for 18 years before deciding to try his hand at creating his own. His first attempt was in 2005 when he built a John Deere 220 center-fold Power-Flex disc like one his father owned. That was enough to spark a passion that led to a first place win at the National Farm Toy Show in Dyersville Iowa in 2008. The winning implement display will be on exhibit at the WTDHC April 28-May 23.

Shifting his focus to cotton pickers and a gin that he remembered hauling to as a child, Cox set about building a large scale cotton display. The result won second place at the national show and has been featured at the National Toy Museum in Dyersville since 2014. This past March, Cox was invited to show the display at John Deere’s 100th anniversary celebration, Gathering of the Green, in Davenport, Iowa.

“We are so fortunate that Darryl is bringing his cotton display back to West Tennessee and honored that he has chosen the Delta Heritage Center as its new home,” says Sonia Outlaw-Clark, WTDHC director. “The time and talent that goes into each of these pieces is phenomenal and the educational component is invaluable as we share our rural heritage with visitors from around the world.”

In addition to the gin display, there will also be a scale hoist, used for weighing finished cotton bales, and other items from Cox’s collection added to the museum. The hoist display was originally shown at the West Tennessee Farm Toy Show, an annual event held in Jackson TN, and one Cox helps to organize.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Cox continues to build farm toys from scratch and was awarded another first place win in February at the Gateway Mid-America Toy Show, St. Louis, Mo., for his original design of a John Deere Lawn and Garden dealership. He has also been featured multiple times in Toy Farmer Magazine.

The reception in his honor and the West Tennessee Cotton Museum are free and open to the public. For more information about the event, call the Center at 731-779-9000 or email [email protected].

(Photo): Darryl Cox builds farm toys from scratch. His models are 1/16th scale and will be on display at the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center beginning April 28.

About the Center: The West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center, in Brownsville, offers a refreshing Southern experience showcasing the history and culture of rural West Tennessee. Inside visitors can learn about the history of cotton, explore the scenic and “wild” Hatchie River and get to know the legendary musicians who call West Tennessee home. Also located on the grounds is the Tina Turner Museum at Flagg Grove School, the childhood school of Tina Turner, and the last home of Blues pioneer Sleepy John Estes. The Delta Heritage Center is also a featured stop along the Americana Music Triangle connecting Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans. To learn more about the Center, visit www.westtnheritage.com or call 731-779-9000.