Erasmus Kitchen Speech, undated

The types of materials within the collection include the following: family letters, family photographs, property deeds and title abstracts, financial ledgers and receipts, family documents related to the U.S. Civil War, various grade school and collegiate records, Kitchen family genealogical information, and other miscellaneous items either produced by or collected by the family between 1830s and 1972.

The majority of the collection rests within Box 1. Box 2 houses legal-sized items arranged chronologically. Box 3 contains oversized materials unable to fit within the files of Box 1. Miscellaneous items that do not fit within any particular family member's timeline, were not produced by any family member, or are the only item within the collection created by an individual are stored at the end of Box 1.

The Pleasant Grove Free Will Baptist Church Records file contains a minutes book containing notes of meetings from the 1840s-1860s (some notes may have references to runaway slaves the church assisted). Also an undated letter from Abraham Kitchen and family concerning "unchristian behavior" of Reverend B.F. Zell (minister at the church during the 1860s).

The Kitchen Family Civil War Documents file holds letters written to Lavina Matilda Hatfield (after the war she became a Kitchen) during the Civil War by a male relative and a man named M.H. Peter, both of whom were fighting in the war for various Ohio regiments. Also included is a honorary G.A.R. certificate for Erasmus J. Kitchen II.

The Erasmus J. Kitchen I documents consists of letters written and received by Erasmus J. Kitchen I and his wife Lavina, as well as financial receipts for agricultural and educational expenses. A number of letters are written to Erasmus' son, Erasmus J. Kitchen II while the latter was at Maryville College. Two significant letters concerning Lavina's health are within these records. One letter written on Feb. 11, 1868 by a Charles Morse discussing causes of and treatments for health symptoms. A second letter was written by Lavina's husband Erasmus from Colorado Springs, Colorado, six days before her death, discussing the fact that she may not live much longer.

The Abraham Kitchen II and James H. Kitchen papers includes letters written by these two sons of Erasmus J. Kitchen I, specifically during the 1890s. James' letters were written while he lived in the Oklahoma Territory; his obituary is also included with his papers. The Erasmus J. Kitchen II documents include secondary and post-secondary educational ephemera of Erasmus, as well as documents connected with Erasmus' agricultural endeavors. A large portion of these documents are letters written by Erasmus J. Kitchen II, while at Maryville College, to his father, Erasmus J. Kitchen I. Letters from high school friends to Erasmus while he was in college, Erasmus' Ohio State University bachelor's thesis, and correspondence from the 1950s and 1960s from Erasmus' friends are also included within these documents.

The A.B. Graham papers include two letters and an essay by A.B. Graham, the founder of the 4-H program. Both letters are written to Erastus (most likely a reference to Erasmus J. Kitchen II), discussing various personal matters, sharing opinions, and describing various agricultural pursuits.

The miscellaneous files contain letters written to or by members of the Kitchen and Hatfield families that either do not belong with other groupings within the collection, or have no identification for the author or receiver. Included in this is a letter by Nancy King to her sister in 1861. Also included are agricultural reports, unidentified letters, and photographs that have been in the possession of the Kitchen family.

Box 2 contains financial ledgers, land title abstracts, and various other materials from the Hatfield and Kitchen families from the 1850s to 1924. Items include a financial ledger of Nathaniel Hatfield (son of James Hatfield, Sr.) and the estate ledger for Erasmus J. Kitchen I.