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The Sound Recording series includes recordings of Republican speakers, including Carl Curtis, Barry Goldwater, George M. Humphrey, Richard M. Nixon, Harold Stassen, and Arthur Summerfield. Topics discussed include Republican politics, blacks and the struggle for civil rights, the investigation of communists in the United States, and the dispute over trade union campaign contributions.

The Research series (8.25 linear feet), 1939-1997, is the largest component of the collection and documents the research activities of the Reserve. The series is organized into subseries based on research areas, which include the Bee Study, Flowers, General, Insects, Plants, Projects, and Weather Records. The Bee Study includes data from 1948 to 1995 with particular emphasis on the years 1972 and 1973. The records, gathered primarily on Evans Old Field, include information on various species of bees and aspects such as phenology, plant visitation, and flight periods. This content is parallel to that of the Flowers series, which covers a similar time period and has information on flower phenology, bee visitation, flowering periods, and other information for a variety of plant species. The General series includes data on various animal and plant life on the Reserve that is not extensive enough to form its own series but still gives valuable information. The plant data contains information from a fifty year study conducted by Francis C. Evans on successional change on Evans Old Field. This data has also been captured in a database and these digital files have been included online. The Projects series is more administrative in nature and includes information on researchers, their projects, and research proposals involving the Reserve. The final subseries, Weather Records, includes daily and monthly weather records between 1951 and 1978, as well as information on the Reserve's Meteorology program.

The Personal papers series includes genealogical information, correspondence, personal diaries, photographs, military records, and other materials.

Griffin's correspondence--primarily with his wife and father, Samuel H. Griffin--includes an 1849 letter concerning a trip to the California gold fields; letters from an 1860 journey from St. Joseph, Missouri, to the gold fields of Pikes Peak, Colorado; and 133 letters to relatives and friends from 1861-1864 written while he was an officer in the Union army from 1861-1864. Much of this correspondence was concerned with home affairs, but they also express admiration for the men in his company and criticism of the officers and of the political intrigues in company promotions. There is a good account of a march and skirmishes in the swamps of Louisiana along the railroad with camps among the alligators and mosquitoes, a description of Ship Island and its sickness and hardships, and reports of the fall of New Orleans, the battles of Baton Rouge, Port Hudson and those on the march with Sherman. Letters from McMinnville, Tenn. tell of the building of a bridge and fortifications and of the friendly relations between himself and the Michigan troops and the people of the area. There are also letters on Griffin's fatal wounding; letter, 1836, of Isaac Griffin describing life in the Niles area; a letter by his son Edwin C. in which he describes the Grand Army of the Republic convention held in Detroit, 1882. Correspondents include John Bennett, Isaac Griffin, Paschal A. Pullman, Lucius M. Wing, and John Woodruff.

Griffin's diaries also provide first-hand reports of his experiences before and during the Civil War. The 1853 volume details his time in California gold fields; the 1856 volume details a trip from Council Bluffs, Iowa to Salt Lake City, Utah; and a brief 1859 volume documents his journey from St. Joseph, Missouri to Pikes Peak, Colorado. The remaining two diaries provide a window into Griffin's experiences with the Union Army, giving good descriptions of troop movements, conditions in the army and countryside, and observations on the commands under which he served. The 1862 diary describes the Mississippi campaign under General Butler in which Griffin was a captain in Company A, 6th Michigan Infantry. The 1864 diary tells of Sherman's Georgia campaign in which Griffin was killed as a lieutenant colonel in the 19th Michigan Infantry.

The series also includes military and civilian records such as commissions, resolutions, and miscellaneous items in addition to photographs of Griffin (in uniform) and of his father, Samuel H. Griffin.

The Personal series (ca. 1910-2011, 0.7 linear feet) includes a wide variety of materials. Family financial and military records, as well as photographs and correspondence provide insight into the experiences and struggles faced by generations of Allen's family as African Americans living in the southern United States striving toward the middle class. This series also includes Allen's personal writings and other records which document her experience with PTSD. Digital video content illustrating Allen's experience as an Army nurse in Vietnam and the effects of her exposure to Agent Orange are also present in this series. Videos are accessible online in the Bentley Library only by following the links in this finding aid.

The Photographs series includes digitized versions of photographs taken by the American Red Cross during the American intervention in North Russia. Subject matter includes American soldiers in formation, at barracks, on guard, and at ease playing hockey and other pursuits in addition to images of Russian churches, shipyard, bathhouses, and village scenes. Accompanying index provides original captions and handwritten notes on the backs of original photographs. These photographs represent a portion of a larger series of images created by the American Red Cross.

The Draft Registration series includes digitized versions of Cain's draft registration forms from the First and Second World Wars, with information on his birth, profession, address, and marital status.