This collection consists of papers and materials relating mostly to Joseph Dorr Waterman and his mother, Mary C. Waterman (later Simonds). The collection contains the correspondence and financial records of these individuals. There are also items not related to the Waterman/Simonds family, including a wallet, Civil War era letters and keepsakes, and advertisements for Kalamazoo businesses. J. Dorr Waterman was a resident of Kalamazoo from 1857-1883.