The Averell Family Papers consist primarily of the personal, business, and legal papers of William Holt Averell of Cooperstown, New York. The collection also includes a substantial number of papers relating to or written by James Averell, Jr., William Holt Averell's father. In addition, the collection includes papers relating to other members of the Averell family and genealogical information regarding the Averell, Carter, Slayton, and Waldby families. The date range is mostly from 1790 to 1880.

Agreements, orders for supplies and raw materials, reports from company managers and factory foremen, annual and monthly reports, ledgers, and material on company personnel and investments. Correspondence between partners Merritt J. Corbett and John L. Stuart, and with managers of subsidiary companies at Corbett, East Branch, Harvard, Livingston Manor, and Peakville, N.Y., St. Mary's, Milanville, and Sherman, Pa., and Wells, Mich.

This collection consists of materials related to Chauncey Hill’s lumber business, 1830s; Alvin E. Hill’s dairy farm, 1890-1931; Willian Manson’s Lakeview Poultry Farm, 1914-1918; and Francis Hill’s saw mill and lumberyard, 1950s; all in Chenango County, NY.

This collection consists of the records of Smalley Theatres, Inc., accumulated at its home office in Cooperstown, N.Y., 1912-1955. The daily and weekly statements, which constitute a significant portion of the records, were collected from the theaters in Camden, Cooperstown, Delhi, Dolgeville, Fort Plain, Hensonville, Johnstown, Norwich, Oxford, Sharon Springs, Sidney, St. Johnsville, Stamford, and Walton, N.Y., before coming to the home office. They provide excellent detail on attendance and box office receipts for films shown at each location.

Minutes, stock transfers, and other papers, 1803-59; contracts, 1802-10; orders for dividends, 1810-13, 1823-27; dividend demand notes, 1821-59; receipts and bills for supplies and services, 1811-56; incomplete commuter lists, 1830-54; appointments of proxies, 1803-09; certificates, tables, and notices of elections, 1804-12; daybooks, 1811, 1832-35; and correspondence of Samuel S. Forman, 1829-35, and Sidney T. Fairchild, 1836-58, officers of the company. Also a photographic copy of a map of the road in Otsego, Herkimer, Madison, and Onondaga Counties, from near Richfield Springs to beyond Cazenovia.