Letters of Nathan Kendall and Abby J. Kendall to and from members of the Kendall, Reed and Stedman families, including in-laws and cousins. Although Nathan's first wife, Josephine Stedman, died along with their infant daughter after only a year of marriage, her sisters kept up the family connection. Also, a few family letters that are not addressed to either Nathan or Abby.

Most of the letters to Nathan are from his brothers, David, Edwin, Erasmus, Jesse, Myron, Paul Raymond (P.R.) and his sisters Lydia (Lillie) and Sarah and Sarah's husband, George Weaver. The bulk of the letters to Abby are from her sister Mary Reed Osgood, her sister Emily Reed Tyler and her brother Charles Reed. Included are letters Charles Reed wrote not only to Abby but to his brothers Chandler and Samuel, among others, detailing his travels to and in California and his gold mining experiences there. Also, letters of Agnes Allen (who was either a relative or a very close friend) describe travel to California.

The content of this family correspondence is primarily the news of personal and/or family events, work, reports of illnesses and deaths, philosophical and religious opinions, and all the other stuff of daily life and thought in mid-nineteenth century America. There is considerable discussion of the act of letter-writing itself - many excuses for lack of corresponding as well as many pleas for more letters.