The papers consist of correspondence, legal and financial papers, photographs, account books, a memoir book, and miscellaneous papers and span the time period from 1834 to 1953. The bulk of the papers consists of correspondence between 1862 and 1914. This correspondence falls roughly into three major periods, each one consisting of two or three dozen letters.
The first period lasts until the 1890s and focuses on G. F. Simpson's involvement with the construction of a silver ore-crushing mill in Helena, Montana Territory, a venture shared with his brother, Charles H. Simpson; land investments in Kansas; and, after the 1860s, iron ore mining operations in Virginia. The letters from Montana and Kansas also document the harsh life on the American frontier. Included with this mostly business correspondence are a few letters from Thomas B. Sykes describing his experiences at Camp Chase, a Union prisoner-of-war camp near Columbus, Ohio, and as a resident of Aberdeen, Miss. during Reconstruction.
The second period, from the 1890s to 1910, consists chiefly of letters to Emma or her sisters Mary and Mabel, which discuss news of family and friends.
The last period, 1910-1914, consists mostly of correspondence between Emma and her husband Dr. Samuel R. Glover during their courtship and early marriage. Dr. Glover's letters include a limited discussion of his medical practice.
The legal papers include a will, mortgages, and land deeds. The financial papers include receipts and notes, some belonging to the firm of Simpson, Bass and Co. of Richmond, Va., operated by Charles H. Simpson and L. L. Bass, who were commission merchants in flour, grain, hay, and other provisions. The miscellaneous papers include clippings and printed material. There are photographs of Emma Simpson Glover, J. W. Simpson, and Mrs. Margaret Simpson.
The bound volumes consist of two ledgers and accounts, 1914-1921, of Dr. Glover's medical practice; ledger and accounts, 1877-1882, of a general store in Nelson Co., Va., which includes entries for farm and farm labor; and a memoir or scrap book of Mary Simpson, consisting of printed material, clippings, ribbons, and other memorabilia. The memoir book originally served as the cash book of an unknown Virginia firm for 1834-1836.
