LOUISIANA, Mo. — John Wood began collecting images of Louisiana when he was 18.

That was almost seven decades ago, and he’s decided to donate the collection of 700 postcards and photographs to the Louisiana Area Historical Museum.

“They’re interesting,” Wood said. “It’s a lot of odds and ends. People can look back and look at what the old town looked like long ago.”

“We cannot thank John enough for his extraordinarily generous donation of this incredible collection,” said Museum President Brent Engel. “It is a treasure trove of images that showcases an important part of the fabric that made up this community.”

Some of the images are identified and others are not. Wood collected them over the years from different photographers, history enthusiasts and local businesses.

Most of the postcards are colorized. Some were made exclusively for local firms such as Stichler’s Pharmacy. One set was made by a company in Boston while another was made overseas.

Scenes include Riverfront Park, the first Champ Clark Bridge, Pike County Hospital, the Masonic Temple and scenic views from Clinton, Dug and Vandeventer hills.

“A few of the postcards have been used, which is particularly interesting because we can date those via postmark to the period from 1909 to 1923,” Engel said. “All it took to mail them then was a one-cent stamp.”

Just as now, people in the early 20th century sometimes got in a hurry. A postcard of Eugene Field School that was sent to a man on North Carolina Street has a stamp of Benjamin Franklin – turned upside down. It was still delivered.

Photos make up the largest part of the collection, including images from the 1880s, when Georgia Street was a dirt path, to 2010, when a deluge of rain swamped cars and businesses on the thoroughfare.

In addition to the downtown, the city’s vital link to the Mississippi River and to railroads takes up a sizable portion. But there are also pictures of families, businesses, schools, parades and everyday life.

The Grant and Hamilton delivery wagon appears to have just dropped off a grocery order in 1905. The city’s Christmas tree in 1916 is almost as big as the tallest buildings on Georgia Street.

The Lou-Mo Theatre at Fifth and Georgia was showing “Strangers May Kiss” in May 1931. The 10-member Louisiana High School basketball team from 1934 looks raring to play. Workers are taking a break from the paving of Missouri Highway 79 south of Louisiana in June 1941.

One photo captures the cornerstone laying for the Louisiana Public Library in May 1904. There’s also an undated image of Civil War veterans gathered beneath the Riverview Cemetery statue honoring them. And another appears to show President Theodore Roosevelt disembarking from his train for a speech in Louisiana on April 29, 1903.

There are a few photos or postcards of places in other communities, such as the main building at Pike College in Bowling Green and construction of Lock and Dam 24 at Clarksville.

“We will be going through these remarkable images with the hope of creating topical and, if possible, permanent exhibits,” Engel said. “These postcards and photographs are a valuable part of our history, and we’re going to do what we can to let people see them. We may put some on our Facebook page eventually.”

The museum will open for the season Memorial Day Weekend, but offers hours periodically for special events, such as the “Find the Leprechaun” event from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 11.

More information is available by viewing the museum’s Facebook page or e-mailing bengel2022@gmail.com