The collection includes incoming correspondence, letterpress copybooks with indexes, account books, bank statements, tax receipts, timber-cruising notebooks, and sectional maps; legal records for a number of Fowler's lumber and land businesses including logging estimates, lumber contracts, title abstracts, land deeds, contracts, agreements, mortgages, and options on mineral rights; and blueprints, specifications, contracts, receipts, contract payrolls and rent statements for buildings in Chicago and Duluth. There are a few files regarding the McCormick Estate, financial arrangements for the creation of International Harvester Company and a small amount of personal correspondence. Some financial and legal records (1805-1841) of Eldridge Fowler's father Melzar Fowler, uncle John N. Fowler and grandfather Anson Fowler are also included. Anson Fowler owned a mercantile store and ashery business in Jefferson County, New York.
The land survey plat maps primarily describe land in Minnesota in the 4th and 5th Principle Meridian, although there are some survey maps of Wisconsin and a few from Michigan. The survey maps, largely undated, are arranged by meridian and range. Included are the Minnesota counties of Aitkin, Becker, Beltrami, Blue Earth, Cass, Carlton, Cook, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Itasca, Lake County, Koochiching, Lake, Otter Tail, St Louis; Wisconsin counties of Ashland, Bayfield and Douglas; and Michigan counties of Chippewa, Dickinson, Gogebic, Oscoda, Otsego. Some survey maps have the wrong meridian marked on them.
Many of the lands surveyed were purchased by E.M. Fowler and his partners Simcoe Chapman and William C. Yawkey. Some of those purchases are documented in the Land and Lumber Businesses series.
The logging estimate books, circa 1881–1900, contain maps of some of these same Minnesota and Wisconsin ranges, as well as the Michigan counties of Iosco, Roscommon. The books are arranged by meridian and range. Survey maps and logging estimates are also scattered through the tax, land deed and correspondence records.
The land deeds, 1844-1897, primarily describe lands in the Michigan counties of Alcona, Arenac, Bay, Gladwin, Iosco, Presque Isle, Otsego and Roscommon, with a few from Wisconsin and Minnesota. They also contain timber contracts, tax receipts and limited correspondence. The deeds are arranged by state and range.
The papers are arranged in two sections: “Melzar and Anson Fowler Financial Records” and “Eldridge M. Fowler Personal Papers.”
