The museum complex was started in 1977 when the Frederick Rotary Club and Tillman County Historical Society teamed up to save and move the Horse Creek School.

The Oklahoma Historical Society became involved in 1996 with renovations to the Frisco Depot and installation of exhibits. The site was then named Pioneer Heritage Townsite Center. Additional land and structures have expanded the museum complex, which represents plains and southwest Oklahoma agriculture in the 1920s era.