Papers consist primarily of mixed personal and business incoming correspondence (1864-1881). The correspondents include relatives, friends, and business associates. Many of the letters discuss in considerable detail the operations of mines, mills, and other enterprises for which Elling's bank had provided the money. In addition, there is one outgoing letterpress book (March-July 1892); financial records (1872-1881), consisting of general ledgers (1873-1901), journals (1873-1901), collections, invoices, and receipts; and a bound volume (circa 1890) of Henry Elling's property ownership abstracts.

The collection also includes subgroups. Records for Henry Elling and Company, a Sheridan general mercantile business, include one ledger (1893-1894) and a small amount of incoming correspondence. Records of Elling, Knight and Company/Elling, Knight, and Buford/Elling and Knight a Virginia City hardware business, consist of two letterpress books (1892-1900), daybooks (1883-1910), general ledgers (1880-1910), journals (1885-1911), and miscellaneous financial records. Records of the Montanian Publishing Company; consist of scattered correspondence and account statements (1873-1878). Records of the Silver Spring Grist Mill consist of interoffice correspondence (1871-1880) and miscellaneous financial records, articles of copartnership, and a subject file on the building of the mill (1871). There are minor subgroups for William Elling, a nephew and for Mary B. Elling, Henry's wife.