Decius S. Wade's papers constitute approximately half of this collection. These materials include general correspondence, writings and clippings reflecting Wade's legal career, his interest in politics, his experiences in Montana, and family matters. Other family members represented in the collection are Decius Wade's wife, Bernice Galpin Wade; his daughter, Clare Wade Safford; his sister, Lucia Wade; and his cousin, Marcia A. Wade. There are also fragmentary materials of other Wade and Safford family members. Schuyler Colfax's correspondence with Wade family members documents his later political career and the period of Grant Administration scandals.