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This journal contains daily accounts written by Benjamin F. Ruggles while traveling west on ox-drawn wagons from Salt Lake City, Utah to Red Bluff, California.

The Ruggles journal represents the second of two journals kept by Benjamin Franklin Ruggles, documenting his overland journey from Minnesota to California and covering the portion of the journey from Salt Lake City to Red Bluff. Ruggles made daily entries in his journal and took his time in writing thoughtfully, describing the scenery, route and the numerous groups of travelers they encountered in their crossing. The details at times provide the most interesting reading, as in his discussion of trying to keep a dog and the oxen alive and healthy when crossing the alkali flats in western Nevada, but the value of the narrative lies as much in providing a closely observed, densely written account of an overland crossing by way of the Mormon and Honey Lake routes. In comparatively few words, Ruggles provides a strongly impression of the landscape and the difficulties encountered in desert travel. It is interesting to note the fear with which he viewed Native Americans, the "hateful sight of sneaking Indians" as he wrote, and although he never personally had any negative encounters with Native Americans, he was more than willing to consider them culpable of misdeeds. Lastly, Ruggles' journal also contains some interesting, though briefer entries for his first few months in Red Bluff. These passage sketch out in rough form the life in a northern California town that was in the process of changing from a frontier town to a more mature settlement.

This diary contains Rhoda B. Stoker's recollections of a car trip she took with her family in August 1935. They traveled from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Idaho, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, California, and Nevada. The volume includes family and travel photographs from 1920, 1924, 1933, and 1935.

This diary (1 volume) contains Rhoda B. Stoker's recollections of a car trip she took with her family in August 1935. They traveled from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Idaho, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, California, and Nevada. The volume includes family and travel photographs from 1920, 1924, 1933, and 1935. The volume, comprised of two ruled spiral notebooks bound together with yarn, contains around 170 pages of material: the first 46 pages (recto) are numbered 1-[46], and the remaining pages (verso) are numbered [47-183].

Stoker's narrative (pages 1-[46]) recounts the trip she took with her son Edwin and "Aunt Clara King" from August 4, 1935-August 20, 1935. The family traveled by car from their home in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Vancouver, British Columbia, and followed the Pacific Coast south to Los Angeles, California. On their return journey, they drove from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City via the Mojave Desert and Las Vegas, Nevada. Stoker recorded details about the group's experiences and expenses, including the names of restaurants they visited, the car's odometer reading, and the amount and cost of gasoline they purchased; she combined all trip expenses at the end of her account (p. [46]). Stoker described the scenery and cities they visited, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, and discussed traveling by car ferry.

Stoker pasted photographs and postcards into her diary, sometimes including descriptions of photos she intended to add. Most images have captions, which include information about the location, date, and photographer. The pictures depict the Stoker family, their companions, and scenery from trips to the Pacific Coast in the summers of 1933 and 1935, including the family's lodgings, redwood trees, bridges, steamers, car ferries, military boats and submarines, and the family's car. One series of photographs depicts animals (prepared with taxidermy) at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Painted postcards and postcard sets show cities such as Tijuana, Mexico; San Diego, California; Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; and Victoria, British Columbia, as well as scenes from California's Pacific coastline.

The papers consists of business, personal, and biographical materials, and Buck's Civil War diaries.

The collection includes biographical, business, and personal materials. His diaries describe his Civil War experiences describe his march from Detroit to the Battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, camp life, equipment, cavalry pickets, and fighting at Chattanooga and Trenton, Tennessee, among other places. The 1855 diary is of a trip from Illinois to Nevada. Bookkeeping journals, receipts, and indentures relate to the sale of merchandise in Paw Paw. The Ida Oil Well Co. Treasury book is from Kent County, Ontario, Canada.

A photograph of Buck in uniform may be found in the Clarke Photograph file and two shoulder straps of the rank of Captain and one cap badge should be in the Display Items boxes.