These records are primarily concerned with the basic daily operation of the McKnight business. The correspondence consists of orders directed to McKnight from soldiers and settlers of the Fort Shaw area and of transactions with various suppliers of the McKnight firm. The financial records consist of bills and statements, both with individuals and with supplying companies, and bound volumes including journals, ledgers, and cash books. The remainder of the material is composed of legal documents (including licenses, agreements, and contracts), and of materials relating to the formal organization of the J.H. McKnight Company, 1894-1914.