The collection includes miscellaneous correspondence, clippings, etc. of Kansas governors, collected over the years from various individuals.

James Madison Harvey served in the Kansas House of Representatives, 1865–1866, and was then elected to the Kansas Senate in 1867-1868. He was elected the fifth governor of Kansas, serving from 1868-1872 before becoming a United States senator, where he served from 1874-1877. This collection primarly contains letters written to James Madison Harvey, some while he was a US senator, but most are following that period.