Documents the affairs of a successful business person in the growing, frontier village of Grand Rapids, Michigan during the mid 19th century. Contains example of various legal, financial and property documents. Among the noteworthy items are certificates from the Alert (volunteer) Firefighting Company, the Mackinac Agency Payroll of 1849, data on building and maintaining the dam and canal in the Grand River, Union school building specifications and two medical prescriptions.

Note: The Squier's Opera House, 83-91 Canal St (later Monroe), has often been given as “Squire's Opera House” in later years, evidently a mistaken spelling of the name.