The Farm Mortgage documents series incorporates all of the farm mortgage documents generated in Kansas and many surrounding states, executed by different Watkins' offices. The farm mortgage documents preserve a singular avenue of knowledge relating to farming, settlements, cash flow, and lending practices, as well as material about the farm or farmer intended for the private use of the Lawrence office staff. In addition, the forms themselves evolve from the mid-1800s handwritten style to the pre-printed form of the early 1900s, thereby offering some history of changing business practices and technology.

Watkins required various documents to be submitted by a farmer in the course of the mortgaging procedure. A loan application, statement of owner, and certificate of attorney, were forwarded and a Watkins agent made a personal inspection and evaluation of the land as well as the landholder. Titles were conveyed and mortgage bonds returned upon approval of the loan. Thus, a complete packet of documents for an applicant would include all of these forms. However, the series only approximates the total volume of documents at hand between 1869 and 1904.

Also contained in the series are the vendor's lien notes. These papers were connected with sales, primarily in Texas, in which the vendor retained a lien on the property sold until payment was made in full. Vendor's lien notes could be sold to the mortgage company so that the company became liable for collecting the purchase price from the buyer.

The final type of document placed in this series are the deeds issued to record the passing of title within the farm mortgage company. These deeds were assigned to the actual company or agent of the company from J. B. Watkins or his receivers. These documents, like the vendor's lien notes, are intimately connected with the type of documents mentioned in the second location of land. These papers are arranged by county and state only.