In 1959, through the efforts of state historian, Muriel Wright, the State of Oklahoma declared the cemetery on museum grounds the state's official Civil War Confederate cemetery. In 1979, the Oklahoma Historical Society build a small one-room museum on the site. The museum opened in August of 1986 through a partnership with the local historical society. While the Civil War is the primary focus, both societies realized that not enough Civil War activity occurred in the area to build an entire museum around that theme, so the local society began to accumulate items related to Atoka County history. In 1998, an addition was added to the building and new exhibits were developed. Today, the site is fully operated by the Atoka County Historical Society and functions not only as a museum but also as a Visitor Information Center.