Cadette Everett Fitch (1840-1927) was a teacher, artist and community leader. The collection contains sketches by Fitch, illustrating nature and a seven-day boat trip down the Grand River. The drawings detail natural features of the landscape and structures along the river. The journal's written descriptions of the flora and fauna, as well as human activity on the Grand River and in the Grand River Valley, give insight into the area just before the turn of the century.