This collection contains the papers of Henry Wheatland, M.D. It also includes some papers of his father-in-law Elisha Mack, his uncle Benjamin Goodhue, and a few other family members. The bulk of the collection is the correspondence of Dr. Wheatland. There are also personal and collected financial and legal papers, copies of church records, journals, newspaper clippings, an autograph collection, and copious notes taken by Wheatland. The material has been organized into six series.

Series I. Personal Papers consist of seven subseries. Subseries A. Correspondence contains over 2,200 letters dating from 1826 to 1892, and was largely organized by Wheatland himself. Letters are organized chronologically by date received; most were received within a month of being sent. Most circulars and meeting announcements are organized separately in the Other Organizations subseries (Series II. Subseries F.), though a few remain in this section. Correspondents include family members, J.P. Dabney, Dr. J. Farnum Jr., Reverend Joseph B. Felt, W. Knights Jr., George A. Perkins, William Prescott, E.S.L. Richardson, and Edwin Willcox among many others.

Subseries B. Journals is comprised of bound journals and loose pages written in a diary-like fashion. The journal entries from 1834 were written while in England. Subseries C. Financial Papers contain mostly receipts, some insurance policies, and a few tax documents. Subseries D. Speeches include addresses made to members of the Essex Institute and a speech on Salem Schools, possibly to the Salem School Committee. Subseries E. School Papers consist of compositions and math worksheets from high school, notes taken during Professor George Ticknor's lectures on the history and criticism of French Literature at Harvard, and the constitution of the Linnean Society of 1832, which is a society to assist its members in the study of Natural History and expansion of their personal collections. The constitution was approved by twelve students and named Wheatland as the Corresponding Secretary of the society. This subseries also includes invitations and correspondence from Harvard to its alumni. Subseries F. Notes on Topics of Interest is made up of the copious notes Wheatland made over the years while reading, researching, or attending lectures. The topics include his interests in biology, natural history, medicine, local history, as well as his classmates at Harvard. Subseries G. Other Papers include Wheatland's professional notes on patients as a physician; invitations and lecture cards; catalogs of his personal library and two unidentified libraries; drawings; ticket stubs and programs of events; and two copies of a history of Essex County institutions written in Dr. Wheatland's hand.

Series II. Societies and Boards includes those institutions that Dr. Wheatland actually was involved in, including the East India Marine Society, the Essex Institute, the Salem Athenaeum and the Massachusetts Board of Education. Because of Wheatland's involvement in these organizations, there are documents in this collection that could be considered institutional records, but were mixed in with his personal papers. This is particularly true for the Essex Institute and the Salem Athenaeum. Subseries F. Other Organizations contain circulars for events, meeting announcements, and dividend payment information for organizations Dr. Wheatland subscribed to and companies in which he held stock.

Series III. Family Papers is comprised of documents within the collection belonging to members of Dr. Wheatland's family. Included are receipts of his father-in-law, Elisha Mack; receipts and papers of his uncle, Benjamin Goodhue; and a limited number of papers for each of his five siblings: Stephen, Richard, Benjamin, George, and Martha.

Series IV. Genealogical Research contains copies of town and church records, including a copy of the first book of births in Rowley, Massachusetts written on the back of Social Insurance policies. These records have for the most part been left in scrapbooks. Volumes 22 through 26 are arranged alphabetically by family name. Volumes 27 and 28 contain both alphabetized notes on family names, and other information. Volume 27 contains genealogical material related to Ichabod Tucker; other miscellaneous genealogical materials; copies of Essex County records; inventories of estates; Benjamin and Stephen Goodhue papers; letters to Henry Wheatland and other family papers; and notes on various trips. Volume 28 contains newspaper clippings, a historical sketch of the philosophical library; a booklet of subscribers names to the Female Charitable Society; a book of members of the Massachusetts Legislature from 1868; a speech given at the Essex Institute; receipts related to the Essex Institute and publication of a history of Essex County; a letter from Professor Agassiz; and a draft of a notice published in the bulletin regarding the 100th anniversary of the American Academy of Arts & Science.

Series V. Essex County Records is comprised of two subseries. Subseries A. Church Records predominantly include extracts of various local church records, notes, and a few original documents. Subseries B. Notes on Towns and Residents include notes on various Essex County town histories, receipts and documents of a few local organizations, and collected documents and newspaper clippings on residents and local matters.

Series VI. Collected Papers is divided into three subseries. Subseries A. Correspondence includes letters written to and from Joseph Ropes, Hezekiah Packard, Ichabod Tucker, Richard M. Hodges, and Colonel Cutler, among others. The letters are arranged chronologically and by author, when possible, and date from 1812 to 1889. Subseries B. Miscellaneous Legal and Financial Documents include wills, deeds, censuses, receipts, and ledgers. Some of the documents in this series are copies of originals. This subseries is arranged chronologically, and the copies of documents are filed by date of the original document. Subseries C. Other Papers include samples of school work by Salem students from 1790; a small autograph collection; newspaper clippings; Harvard's course offerings for the 1873-1874 academic school year; a journal; a blank ethnology survey form created by Franz Boas; maps; and historical accounts and remembrances of battles, Frances Deering Wentworth, and schools for "freedpeople."