Alpheus Hollister (1793-1870) was the proprietor of a sawmill and grist mill and a merchant at Hollisterville, Salem Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania. The collection consists of two account books for a general store at Hollisterville. The first volume (1848-1849) has been used as a scrapbook by a descendant and is filled with newspaper clippings, mostly sentimental or sensational stories from the 1880s, many from central New York State. The second volume (1860-1867) records typical general store transactions.

The account books document a general store situated in Little Britain Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, likely owned in part by Jeremiah Brown (1749-1831). Brown was a successful businessman, owning a grist mill, sawmill, and slate quarries. The general store was a major center of exchange, which included a mix of cash and barter transactions, the latter including both goods and labor.

The Mill at Anselma is a custom grain mill in Anselma, Chester County, Pennsylvania. This collection consists of seven oral history interviews conducted in 1982 and 1986 with individuals familiar with the Mill at Anselma. Most are members of the Collins family (the last residents of the mill), as well as other Chester County citizens. The interviews mainly focus on the mill, how it operated, and its service to the county, but also include numerous personal stories recounting life in early twentieth century rural Pennsylvania.

The Wallace family general store was a country store established by Robert Wallace (1721-1793) when he purchased land in what is now East Earl Township northeast of the town of Lancaster around 1761. The records of the Blue Ball store are somewhat unusual because they cover a single rural enterprise over a long period that coincides with the change from near-frontier conditions to intensive agricultural development. All of the records are typical storekeeper's account books: day books, ledgers and cash books. There is also an arithmetic copy book, circa 1790, that belonged to Thomas Wallace (1785-1871), the youngest son of Robert Wallace.