The Lea family was among the largest flour mill operators at the Brandywine Falls, near Wilmington, Delaware, since the 1770s, when Thomas Lea (1757–1823) joined in partnership with Joseph Tatnall (1740–1813) to operate mills on the north bank of the stream. This small collection of Lea family papers documents Delaware and Pennsylvania land use and ownership, elite family and social relationships, and agricultural business operations from the early eighteenth century to the mid-nineteenth century. The materials are from four generations of the William Lea (1805-1876) family lineage. The collection is arranged into four series: Real estate and financial papers, Correspondence, Personal papers, and Newspaper clippings.

William Winder ‘Chick” Laird, Jr. (1910-1989) was a director of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and a financial advisor, starting his own brokerage firm in Wilmington, Delaware. He was the son of William Winder Laird (1878-1927) and Mary Alletta Belin DuPont Laird (1878–1938). He had four siblings. His mother was great granddaughter of Eleuthere Irenee du Pont (1771-1834), founder of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, a chemical company more commonly referred to as the DuPont company. His father, William Winder Laird (1878-1927) was actively involved in the DuPont Company as well as an advisor to his brother in law, Pierre S. du Pont (1870-1954). This is small collection of various items belonging to W. W. Laird Sr. and W.W.'Chick' Laird, Jr.