This collection contains letters, genealogy information, and personal papers related to Edwin L. Peterson’s family. The bulk of the collection is comprised of letters to and from the Loose, Patten, and Peterson families, dating from 1898 to 1953. These letters provide key details about the relationships within these families and give a narrative to the Peterson family history. There are also notes about genealogy and historical events, including a note that accuses Jos Agnew of burning down the Nauvoo Temple.

Of particular interest in this collection are the 154 pages of firsthand accounts of the Californian mining town of Bodie. Also of interest are the documents relating to the controversial dismissal of Edwin’s uncle, Elmer G. Peterson, as President of USAC.

The collection is organized into categories of correspondence, genealogy, and personal papers. The correspondence is chronological, the genealogy grouped into families, and the personal papers are grouped by topic.