Backup and Restore Apple Messages on macOS
Yes, it is possible to import message history from a Time Machine backup onto a new machine without a full restore from a Time Machine backup. This was tested on 10.10 but should work for at least 10.9 as well.


Take a full Time Machine backup of the new system.
Quit Messages.app.
Remove all of the following files and directories on the new system:

~/Library/Caches/com.apple.iChat/
~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iChat/
~/Library/Messages/
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.imessage.bag.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.imservice.FaceTime.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.imservice.iMessage.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.imservice.ids.FaceTime.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.imservice.ids.iMessage.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iChat.AIM.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iChat.Jabber.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iChat.LSSharedFileList.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iChat.StatusMessages.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iChat.Yahoo.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iChat.plist

Copy the following files and directories from your Time Machine backup to their respective locations on your new system:

~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iChat/
~/Library/Messages/
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.imessage.bag.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.imservice.FaceTime.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.imservice.iMessage.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.imservice.ids.FaceTime.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.imservice.ids.iMessage.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iChat.AIM.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iChat.Jabber.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iChat.LSSharedFileList.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iChat.StatusMessages.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iChat.Yahoo.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iChat.plist

Restart your system