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This collection is made up of incoming personal letters to Gilford L. and Henrietta McNamara, natives of Emmetsburg, Iowa, who lived in multiple cities throughout the 1920s. The McNamaras received letters from family members and friends who discussed their lives in numerous Iowa locations, including Emmetsburg, Ruthven, Rodman, Ayershire, and Cedar Rapids.

This collection is made up of 78 incoming personal letters to Gilford L. and Henrietta McNamara from family members and friends, who wrote primarily from 1914-1927. Their most frequent correspondent was Gilford's mother, Julie McNamara, who provided news from Emmetsburg, Iowa. Other frequent writers included Gilford's sister Nellie and Henrietta's sisters Jean and Ruth. These and other correspondents lived in Iowa towns such as Emmetsburg, Ruthven, Rodman, Ayershire, and Cedar Rapids. Most of the letters concern the writers' daily social activities, which included odd jobs and events such as dances. Several of the McNamaras' siblings discussed their education. Some writers commented on local news, such as a fatal car crash (June 15, 1925) and a girl getting "cut up" (May 1, 1920). The collection includes a few letters exchanged by Gilford and Henrietta McNamara, mostly after their marriage. In the final dated letter, A. P. Myer discussed a visit to Sulphur Springs, Arkansas (November 22, 1936).