Primarily the diaries of Elisabeth A. Gookin, Frederick Gookin's mother, chronicling her daily activities. The diaries contain descriptions of the labor required to maintain the household, her health, and also her general attitude and emotional state. There is also is a detailed diary kept by Elisabeth Gookin of the family's twelve visits to the World's Columbian Exposition, and her travel diaries describing trips to Boston, New York, and Washington D.C. Also included is a daily diary kept by Mary Gookin, and Marie Sieboth's calendar containing a quotation for each day. There are a few items related to Frederick Gookin's membership in the Chicago Literary Club, and some miscellaneous items related to the Gookin family, including postcard photos of the neighborhood around Walton & State streets, where they lived.