The core of this collection is a series of three book-length manuscripts: two on John J. Healy, a miner, Fort Benton sheriff, and Alaska entrepreneur; and one on John Barr, a Montana and Alaska river boat captain. In addition, the collection contains general correspondence (1954-1989) with historical societies, publishers, descendants of John J. Healy, and others; several shorter manuscripts; and extensive research notes, roughly sorted by topic. There is also a list of birds seen in Bozeman during the Christmas Bird Count of 1973.