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This collection is mostly made up of letters that Josephine Dyer Varnum ("Josie"), a native of Massachusetts, wrote to her mother and other family members while living in Tallahassee and Jacksonville, Florida, in the 1880s. She commented on daily life and shared news of her young children.

This collection (58 items) is mostly comprised of letters that Josephine Dyer Varnum ("Josie") wrote to her mother and other family members while living in Tallahassee and Jacksonville, Florida, in the 1880s. The first two items are letters from Josephine L. Dyer to John P. Varnum ("Johnnie"), her future husband, written in October 1872. The remaining correspondence largely consists of Josephine's letters to her family in Massachusetts, in which she discussed many aspects of her life in Florida, such as food, weather, and her daily activities. She commented on a new sewing machine (April 1, 1884) and described some of her living quarters. Many of her letters focus on news of her husband John, who worked in the newspaper industry and unsuccessfully ran for at least one local elected office, and her children Charles ("Archie"), Grace ("Gracie"), and Edith ("Edie"). She wrote about the children's development, schooling, their feelings about their grandparents, and other subjects. She also sent a letter to an absent child about Christmas celebrations and gifts (December 30, 1883). John P. Varnum wrote at least one letter to Josephine while traveling in 1877. The final item is a manuscript map of properties along the Indian River.