Correspondence, diaries, essays and works, personal financial documents, and other materials representing three generations of the Metcalf family. There is one letter from Isaac Stevens Metcalf's father, Isaac Metcalf, to his mother, Anna, from 1827. Aside from that there are letters from his mother to himself and his siblings, and between his siblings: brothers Eliab and Joseph, sister Lucy (married name Furber), half-brother Charles, and half-sisters Elizabeth Anna (also known as Anne, Ann, Anna, or E.A.; married name DeWitt) and Almeida (also spelled as Almeda; married names Searles and Rider). Since the focus of the collection is on the life of Isaac Stevens Metcalf, there are numerous folders containing biographical information, diaries, finance books, and works by and about him in this series, including some information about Bowdoin College and his work on the Illinois Central Railroad. Furthermore, there is correspondence between Metcalf, his two wives (Anna Brigham Putnam and Harriet Howes), and eight of his eighteen children: Wilder Stevens (3rd child); Charles (4th); Marion (5th); Anna (7th, married name Root); John Milton Putnam (8th); Harlan (9th); Grace Ethel (10th, married name Hall); and Henry Martyn (11th).

Since the family is spread out in Maine, New Hampshire, and Ohio, discussion in the letters is primarily focused on catching up with family and friend news: births, deaths, marriages, and illnesses. The weather features prominently, as does Christian beliefs and activities. Some letters are from travel and war experiences: Wilder Stevens Metcalf in particular traveled west through Indian territory in Oklahoma and also fought in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War, and he sends his relations personal accounts of his travels and adventures. There is a small amount of Civil War-related letters, as Antoinette B.P. Metcalf's cousin Samuel was a Captain in the Union army and wrote her a few letters while he was serving.