The papers consist primarily of the accounts of Jonah Sanford (1733-1817) who lived in the South Farms section (now Morris) of Litchfield. They were kept by Jesse Sanford Harrison (1872-1954), great great granddaughter of Jonah Sanford. Jesse was the daughter of Rollin & Laura Harrison and granddaughter of William Henry Harrison and Rhoda Sanford, daughter of Simeon Sanford and granddaughter of Jonah Sanford.

Papers related to the genealogy of Margaret Swartwout Sanford of Litchfield, Conn., including her D.A.R. application materials, her eulogy by Howard Frederic Dunn and David Fyodor Gurniak of St. Michael's Church, obituaries of her grandfather Rollin Sanford (1806-1879), news clippings related to members of the Swartwout family, and other documents.