This collection covers the years 1817 through 1930 and includes deeds, mortgages, bonds, protests, catalogs, photos, invoices, and receipts. Deeds and tax receipts for land in Utah, Colorado, Iowa, Wisconsin, and others addressed to W&T Smith Co. point to their ownership of land in these states with connections to other nurseries. Most dates for deeds/mortgages/bonds are those for the date the deed was recorded by the clerk, not the date on the deed itself.

The collection covers the years 1905 to 1953 and contains one letter from 1995. The bulk of the letters belong to Margaret McCarthy, but a couple are addressed to Francis Wallace (brother or father). There are many greeting cards addressing anniversaries, birthdays, baby announcements, and holidays.

The heart of the collection documents Thomas D. Burrall's career as an inventor. Present are eight U. S. Patent Certificates, complete with much technological detail and, in four cases, drawings for a clover seed cleaning and hulling machine, 1923; a thrashing and winnowing machine for wheat or small grain, 1830; a cook stove, 1835; a threshing machine, 1832/1837; a reaping and mowing machine, 1856; and a corn shredder, 1863, for which a metal scale model and an advertising card are also included. In four cases, the patent certificates are signed by historic figures: James Monroe, John Q. Adams, or Andrew Jackson. Three diplomas, from Union College, Schenectady, NY and Yale, New Haven, CT, document Burrall's academic career. An 1850 listing of Yale graduates show that Burrall's was an old Yale family with graduates in 1771, 1781, and 1826. Also present is Burrall's appointment as an attorney in New York in 1810 and two books owned by Burrall: Cowper's poems and the biography of a Litchfield, CT missionary. Also included is ancillary material on a Burrall family ancestor, John Howell Wells: a Wells' family tree, an 1837 public land sale document to Margaret Mott, Ontario County, NY, two Rev War-period appointments, and an indenture of Apprenticeship between two Geneva, Ontario County, NY men.

A compilation of material related to theaters in Geneva, including movie theaters.

Civil War veterans group.

This collection of photos and articles relates to Edward Smaldone, an Italian immigrant, who opened a chocolate shop on Exchange Street and branched out into a corner store as he grew successful.

Sarah Hopkins Bradford is known for being the first biographer of Harriet Tubman and for writing the first history of Geneva.

Samuel Baldwin was a lawyer in Geneva and Canandaigua.

Rufus J Dryer was an a painter who studied in New York State and in Europe, mainly France and Spain, and created many paintings and screens until his early death in 1937.

This collection covers the expansion of the company from Troy to Geneva. Many of the catalogues also contain information and photos of the Troy warehouse and salesroom. Catalogues and photos make up the bulk of this collection and cover the early days of the factory in Geneva and into the mid-20th century.