The contents of an old trunk are like keys, unlocking families’ long-lost secrets.

Many times, trunks are the one old, worn family heirloom that survive generations, hiding in an attic or a basement and filled with old photos, postcards, family letters, old baseball cards and even war memorabilia.

And of course, this leads to many stories.

One of these trunks, full of mysterious items, arrived several years ago by way of donation at the Northeast Georgia History Center in Gainesville.

The trunk came from Atlanta and possibly dates to the early 1900s. The years of family history in the trunk seem to be connected to the Herbert D. Burroughs family — but Glen Kyle, the managing director at the history center, can’t be so sure.

“That is somewhat of a mystery because we don’t know,” Kyle said. “And haven’t tracked it down but it is track-downable.

“Sometimes you get something that is just a plain, old trunk, and sometimes it is a treasure trove.”

This one, it turns out, is full of mysterious mementos.

“A lot of this is actually World War I stuff ... it is old and rough now but you can squint your eyes and see its former glory,” Kyle said. “You have letters, photographs, souvenirs from travel; this back here is actually a bayonet. It is a French pre-World War I bayonet.

“Now, how did he get a French pre-World War I bayonet? I don’t know.”

The trunk is lined with decorative paper and is well made, Kyle said.

Trunks have served many purposes over the years, but today they are basically decorative.

“One thing about trunks that you have to remember — and this goes all the way back to the middle ages — they were the furniture, the cabinetry, the luggage of a household,” Kyle said. “If you were going on more than a couple days’ journey you would put things in trunks because you could throw them around and they would last.”

Some homes would even use the trunks for multiple purposes.

“Then over the years, as our society got more furniture and furniture became more available, they became more quaint — not as used as often as its original purpose.”

Another trunk that has an interesting story to tell, also packed away in the basement of the center, is one that belonged to Breezy Wynn.

“It has standard equipment — gear, backpack, a couple backpack pieces, an ammunition belt, canteen, marching boots,” Kyle said.

“And this is really neat — baby shoes.”

Jack Wynn, the nephew of Breezy Wynn, said he had no idea about the story behind the baby shoes in the trunk — they remain a mystery.

But Jack was able to clear up the confusion about the contents within Breezy’s trunk. In fact, it wasn’t Breezy’s gear at all in the trunk; it belonged to Jack’s father, Floyd Wynn.

“It is a convoluted story, but my father (Floyd Wynn) had that trunk for many years in the basement and he had his World War II state guard uniforms and gear in it,” said Jack, who has volunteered at the history center over the years. “So the stuff that is in the trunk belonged to my father but somehow or another my father ended up with Breezy’s trunk.”

Jack said he donated the trunk because he knew the history center had an interest in war memorabilia.

“Dad was a teacher and I think maybe he had flat feet or something and they didn’t take him in the Army and he really wanted to serve,” Jack said. “So he ended up in what was called the (Georgia) state guard.”

For Jack and the Wynn family, the history center now has the trunk and will store the family heirloom. But for families who continue to keep secrets locked away in an old trunk, Kyle recommended a few steps to protecting them.

In particular, if you plan on using the trunk as a decorative item in your home, try to open it as little as possible.

If you want to get the trunk restored to its original condition, know that it will cost some money — and some history.

Kyle said there are a couple basic steps to protect your family trunk at home.

A conservator is “... going to take some of the history off of it as he cleans it and refurbishes it.”

Another way to keep the antique in the family is to make sure that the trunk and contents are described and dispersed in a will.

“They can list them in the will and sometimes with people I work for, I give them a little book that is referred to in the will,” said Gainesville lawyer Bill House. “They can write in it items and where they are located and where they can claim them. Of course, they need to be very specific as to what it is.”