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This diary (4.5"x7.5") consists of 57 pages of entries and notes composed by Scotland native David Houston, who emigrated to the United States with his wife and children in the summer of 1854. The first 41 pages (May 29, 1854-July 7, 1854) recount the Houstons' journey from Glasgow to New York onboard the President Fillmore. Later groups of entries report some of the family's expenses after arriving in North America (3 pages, May 24, 1855-September 28, 1855) and contain copied documents regarding Houston's religious affiliation, additional religious notes, and other brief entries about the family's lives in Philadelphia and New York City (13 pages, July 1854-January 4, 1858).

This diary (4.5"x7.5") consists of 57 pages of entries and notes composed by Scotland native David Houston, who emigrated to the United States with his wife and children in the summer of 1854. The first 41 pages (May 29, 1854-July 7, 1854) recount the Houstons' journey from Glasgow to New York onboard the President Fillmore. Later groups of entries report some of the family's expenses after arriving in North America (3 pages, May 24, 1855-September 28, 1855) and contain copied documents regarding Houston's religious affiliation, additional religious notes, and other brief entries about the family's lives in Philadelphia and New York City (13 pages, July 1854-January 4, 1858).

David Houston began his diary on May 29, 1854, after loading his family's trunks in a stateroom onboard the President Fillmore, an 870-ton sailing ship bound for the United States from Glasgow, Scotland. His wife, Margaret, and their three sons William, David, and Robert joined him soon thereafter, and the ship set sail on June 1. Houston described life onboard the ship in daily entries composed regularly until his arrival in New York on July 7, 1854 (pp. 1-41). He covered topics such as the distribution of sugar, tea, flour, oatmeal, beef, and other foodstuffs to passengers; his frequent attendance at, and leadership of, passenger-organized religious services; the ship's progress; and the weather, including a series of rough storms. Houston's diary also recounts the passengers' efforts to commend their captain, Peter Nelson, for his conduct during the voyage; after hearing several proposals, they wrote and orally presented a brief tribute, which Houston copied (pp. 34 verso-35 verso). Of note are entries describing the ship running aground (May 29, 1854, pp. 3-4), the effect of storms on the ship's sails and crew (June 8, 1854-June 12, 1854, pp. 12-15), a bird flying onto the boat (June 21, 1854-June 22, 1854, pp. 20-21), and the near death of an infant due to an accident (June 30, 1854, pp. 31-32). He also reported that he inserted a message in a bottle and dropped it in the ocean (June 24, 1854, p. 21 verso).

Though he stopped writing regularly upon his arrival in North America, Houston continued to record sporadic diary entries until January 4, 1858. These notes reflect several aspects of his life in Philadelphia and New York, such as the cost of rent, his regular correspondence with his father, who remained in Scotland, and his strong religious beliefs. On two occasions, he copied documents certifying his membership in the Presbyterian Church, and in one entry, dated June 3, 1856, he recalled his wife's delivery of a stillborn child.

The Johanna Gleeson collection is made up of 29 letters that Gleeson received from family members and friends after emigrating from County Cork, Ireland, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, around 1877. Her most frequent correspondents were her friend Mary Anne Murphy, who reported social and political news from Kilnarovanagh, Ireland, and her cousin and future husband Michael Gleeson, who commented on his life and work in California and Colorado.

The Johanna Gleeson collection is made up of 29 letters that Gleeson received from family members and friends after emigrating from County Cork, Ireland, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, around 1877. Her most frequent correspondents were her friend Mary Anne Murphy, who reported social and political news from Kilnarovanagh, Ireland, and her cousin and future husband Michael Gleeson, who commented on his life and work in California and Colorado.

Mary Anne Murphy wrote 12 letters about her life in Kilnarovanagh, where she often interacted with Johanna's aunt. She reported local news such as births, marriages, and deaths, and sometimes listed the names of others who were planning to emigrate to the United States. In her later letters, she occasionally discussed her desire to emigrate. Murphy also expressed concern for Johanna after hearing of a flood in Philadelphia, and complained of one particularly cold winter. Her letter of June 20, 1881, concerns political turmoil, the possibility of war, and conflicts between Irish landlords and tenants.

Michael Gleeson wrote 6 letters to Johanna Gleeson, commenting on his experiences in the western United States. While living in Davisville, California, he provided news of an acquaintance's efforts to find work in California and Arizona and mentioned his own travels. After moving to Denver in 1880, he described the effects of a railroad accident he suffered while working as a brakeman, which resulted in a below-ankle amputation of one of his legs. Gleeson received treatment and financial compensation for his injury and later discussed his work as a railroad clerk, which occasionally involved meeting with other immigrants.

The remaining 11 letters from family and friends concern the writers' lives in Ireland and the United States. Gleeson's sister Maggie and several female cousins wrote about their lives in North America, often sharing news of other immigrants' travels; her brother requested an address for "Denny" and information about travel fares. Gleeson's friend Kate Shea provided updates from her home in Ireland. Another acquaintance, Celia Day, provided Gleeson news of the Newbold family after Gleeson moved from Philadelphia to Denver.