The papers of the Stiles, Horr, and Bonney families span the years 1803-1907, with the bulk of the material dating from 1824 to 1887. The collection documents the lives of everyday Americans in the nineteenth century. The papers are in English.

The collection documents the daily lives of the Stiles and Horr families, and the Bonney family, all from northern New York. The bulk of the material consists of letters received by Elizabeth (“Betsy”) Stiles Horr and members of her family. Letters were received from various family members, including her siblings, Silas, Benjamin, Hannah, and Catherine, sister-in-law Polly, children Mary, Benjamin, and Peter, and other family members and friends. Also included is correspondence between other members of the Stiles and Horr families. Topics include Benjamin’s experience in the army during the War of 1812, health and well-being of friends and family members, living conditions, finances, Christian revival meetings, spiritualism, Mormonism, the temperance movement, farming and other work, and opinions on the Civil War and politics of the day. The correspondence also highlights the experiences of family members migrating west to various locations, including Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Louisiana.

The Betsey Gould Knox Bonney family correspondence consists of incoming correspondence, primarily addressed to Betsey Bonney. Letters were received from various family members, particularly her siblings, Pamelia Crawford and John Knox, sister-in-law Caroline Knox, and nieces Tina Kroehnke and Carrie Knox. Topics include her sister’s grief over the loss of her daughter, growth and development of children, news of family members, health and deaths of family members, farming and crop yields, family relations, finances and sale of land, desire to visit family, weather, John Knox’s mental health, and Tina Kroehnke’s plans to move to Tennessee and thoughts on that region.

Also included in the collection are deeds, surveys, contracts, and receipts relating to the Stiles and Horr families, clippings, a hand-drawn floor plan, and transcripts of correspondence created by descendants of the Stiles, Horr, and Bonney families. Some transcripts include brief, typewritten or handwritten notes providing additional context.