In terse, usually one line descriptions, the daily work of a male farmer on a mixed farm through the depression years are depicted. In addition to grain the couple raised both cattle and pigs; if there was also poultry this would presumably have been the purview of the woman and was not noted. Entries in a second hand are found at the back of the 1927 diary, primarily regarding quilting; and at the back of the 1939-1942 diary, noting household expenditures. At the end of 1929, the main author noted "Very poor year. Drought. Shortage of feed and water;" to which his partner appended, "All poor if you ask me???"

The McKay family fonds contains material created and assembled primarily by Angus McKay and his daughter Annie Maude (Nan) Nan McKay. The photographs include family members as well as HBC staff; the University of Saskatchewan campus during Nan McKay’s time as a student; and a variety of scenes and people in Northern Saskatchewan, documenting Angus McKay’s work and family life at various posting, and including a photo identified as a treaty party in La Ronge. The textual material accumulated by Angus McKay includes business, family and personal correspondence, including correspondence relating to his award of scrip, receipts, financial accounts, price lists, tax assessments, etc. There is also material relating to the McKay family tree; printed reminiscences (1935) of the Riel Rebellion of 1885; notes and sketches for a talk by Nan McKay about bird watching.

This collection consists primarily of correspondence, notes, clippings and photographs. It includes material of other Porter family members.

This fonds contains a bound typescript copy of Helen's memoirs, The Unforgotten Years. These memoirs document the Shirriff and Alexander families, and are particularly descriptive of life in Western Canada between the 1860s and 1932.

This collection includes Howdy McPhail’s aerial photographs, predominantly of individual farms and views of towns and cities. Some images are of specific landmarks, scenic views, or fauna. All images are identified and a majority are dated. A second accrual contains examples of printed calendars and postcards that were sold by McPhail, as well as some correspondence and other business documentation. Images used in an exhibition curated by Helen Marzolf were added in 2018. Further accruals of correspondence, order forms, negatives and prints were interfiled in Series B.