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This collection is made up of letters that members of the Beach family wrote to Reverend Joseph P. Fessenden and his wife Phebe about life in Sharon Township, Ohio, in the mid-19th century. Fessenden's correspondents described their journeys from Maine to Ohio via steamboat, railroad, and stage; discussed many aspects of life in Ohio, such as religious customs and agriculture; and commented on news of family members and friends in Ohio and New England.

This collection is made up of 20 letters that members of the Beach family wrote to Reverend Joseph P. Fessenden and his wife, Phebe, from 1838-1850; several include contributions from multiple authors. The Fessendens' correspondents included Sargent W. Beach, Martha Beach, Israel Bailey Beach, Sarah Barker Beach, and Thomas Parnell Beach. The letters pertain to the writers' lives in Sharon Township, Ohio.

The Fessendens' incoming correspondence pertains to many aspects of life in Ohio in the mid-19th century. Several letters mention agricultural practices, education, and religion, including Thomas Parnell Beach's request that Joseph P. Fessenden come to Ohio to promote the antislavery cause (December 1, 1845). Others include the writers' comments on local religious denominations and their personal beliefs. Several correspondents provided detailed descriptions of their journeys from New England to Ohio, including travel by railroad, steamboat, and stage, often through the state of New York. Many letters contain and respond to news of family members and acquaintances in New England and Ohio; Israel Bailey Beach reflected on family members' deaths in his later letters.

This collection consists of the correspondence, diaries, writings, documents, sermon notes, and other items produced by or related to Samuel D. Bates, a Free Will Baptist preacher and educator in Ohio in the mid-nineteenth century. The correspondence spans from 1847 to 1892 and includes letters to and from his wife Lodeemy Brockett. Documents in the collection reflect S. D. Bates' engagement with religious groups and schools, featuring teacher's reports, subscription lists, financial records, and more. Several manuscript writings are also present, including essays and two editions of his 1850 manuscript newspaper, "The Human Elevater." Three volumes and 16 fragments of Samuel D. Bates's diaries span from 1850 to 1857, and two volumes of autobiographical writings are also present. Several hundred sermon notes date from 1851 to mid-1870s, with some numbered by Bates and annotated about different locations where they were delivered.

This collection consists of the correspondence, diaries, writings, documents, sermon notes, and other items produced by or related to Samuel D. Bates, a Free Will Baptist preacher and educator in Ohio in the mid-nineteenth century, as well as material relating to his son, Harley A. Bates, and his spouse Harriette (Hattie) E. Rice. The correspondence spans from 1847 to 1899, with the bulk dating from 1849 to 1892 for Samuel D. Bates and from 1889 to 1899 for Harley A. Bates. The personal correspondence reflects family dynamics, courtship, events in Marion and Hillsdale, Ohio, and matters relating to college fraternities due to Hattie Rice's heavy involvement in that field.

Documents in the collection reflect Samuel D. Bates's engagement with religious groups and schools, featuring teacher's reports, subscription lists, financial records, and more. Various financial and estate documents as well as certificates and other items provide additional insight into the family's affairs. Several manuscript writings are also present, including essays and two editions of Samuel D. Bates's 1850 manuscript newspaper, "The Human Elevater." Three volumes and 16 fragments of Samuel D. Bates's diaries span from 1850 to 1857, and two volumes of his autobiographical writings are also present.

Several hundred of Samuel D. Bates's sermon notes date from 1851 to mid-1870s, with some numbered by Bates and annotated about different locations where they were delivered.

Invitations, printed materials, and ephemeral materials further reflect on the family's social and intellectual life. Printed items include items such as funeral notices, the program for Samuel D. Bates's memorial service, newspaper clippings, among others.