The museum we now know as the Heidrick Ag History Center was incorporated as a foundation in 1995.  Since then the museum has made several transitions and has becoming a public 501 C 3  nonprofit organization.  It continues its reputation as a world class museum housing the Fred Heidrick Antique Tractor and Ag Collection, the Hays Antique Truck Collection, and continues to grow with gifts from collectors with an enthusiasm for vintage wheels. 

The current museum celebrated its grand opening on September 20, 1997. Fred Heidrick Senior was 84 at this time.  He had been collecting and restoring vintage vehicles for 60 years.  Fred discovered he had a talent for fixing up abandoned equipment.  With his brother, Joe, he was able to earn money from fixing tractors and other equipment.  His hobby resulted in creating a museum that housed the largest collection of farm vehicles. 

In the mid-ninety’s his family persuaded him to donate his legacy of farm equipment to a museum.   Fred Heidrick Senior went a step further – he funded and built a museum.   He did this with his family’s legacy and the generous support of local business and agricultural enthusiasts.  The museum was designed to spark interest in agriculture.  When Fred loosened the bolts on a pile of rusty steel, it began a transformation that brought the antique machine back to its original splendor.  Fred’s passion for all things with moving parts began as a child.  With bits of wood, wires, nail, and a lot of imagination, Fred made his own tractors, combines and airplanes to play with as a boy.  Over the years a collection of  Ford, John Deere, Caterpillar, International, Case, Best, Holt, and so many more vehicles came home to rest at the museum.

Fred Heidrick had persuaded his friend Pop Hays to collect and restore trucks as a hobby.  Fred and Pop would eventually fill 130,000 square feet thanks to support that also relied heavily on a pool of volunteers that included farmers, young people, relatives, artists, and attorneys.  Marsha Hilleby still talks about how she painted the trim on many of those early restoration projects in the Heidrick collection.