The Putnam Family Papers reflect the activities of a Salem, Massachusetts, family involved in international shipping, domestic retail trade, and farming. The collection features the shipping papers of Edward Putnam (1806-1852), shipmaster, South American Merchant agent and Salem merchant, and those of his brother Charles (1802-1862) and John (b. 1800). Also included are records of the general store and pharmacy owned by Charles and George Putnam (1804-1860), and personal, farming, and horticultural papers of family members. The collection is divided into five series.

Series I. Merchant Correspondence contains letterbooks containing South American and United States domestic correspondence. The bulk of the letters relate to Edward Putnam during the period he was a merchant agent in Brazil, and later when he was a merchant residing in Salem. Also briefly described are the merchant agent activities of John Putnam, and Charles Putnam's interests in international and domestic trade. Of interest is South American correspondence recounting the political unrest and revolution which wracked Brazil in the 1830s and the papers relating to the steam sugar mill (B3 F4) which Edward and Charles shipped to Brazil. South American correspondence also contains periodic mention of Brazilian steam rice mills beginning in 1836.

Series II. Shipping Papers consists of ships' papers, shipping accounts and memorandums, rubber shoe auction catalogs, and insurance papers. Included in the ships' papers are papers of the brig Curlew, of which Edward Putnam was master, and the papers of vessels owned by the Allens and T. P. Pingree of Salem, for whom Edward was Brazilian agent. John Putnam's positions as master and supercargo are recorded in the papers of the brig Heber and schooner Florence. Of interest are the papers of the brig Marion, lost at sea in 1844, which include estate papers of the vessel's master, Antonio de Costa. Additional shipping accounts for Charles Putnam's ventures may be found in General store journal Vol. 12 and account book (B8 F7).

Series III. General Store and Pharmacy Records contains account books, store and drug inventories, and medicinal recipe books. Pharmacy and store records are combined in these volumes.

Series IV. Family Papers includes personal and business papers of the Edward Putnam family, Charles Putnam, and Ebenezer Putnam. It has been divided into three subseries. Subseries A. Edward Putnam Family contains Ebenezer's wife, Margaret's, diary and correspondence generated from her 1865-1871 trips to South Carolina, Philadelphia, Chicago and San Francisco, as well as financial papers of his father and grandfather. Subseries B. Charles Putnam includes a horticultural book of pears which exhibited at the Essex County Natural History Society (1843-1845), farm accounts and accounts of Nathaniel Stowers, of whose bankrupt estate Charles was executor. Charles' accounts kept while clerk of the Salem Light Infantry (1829) may be found in General Store daybook 1831-1832 (B7 F3). Subseries C. Ebenezer Putnam consists of horticultural, farming, and miscellaneous notebooks and account books. The miscellaneous notebooks include essays and notes on chemistry, chess, United States imports and exports, winemaking, cotton production, and slave labor. The only records which reflect Ebenezer's career as postmaster are entries in account book Volume 17. Ebenezer's family papers include correspondence concerning Putnam family genealogy received by Ebenezer Putnam, Ebenezer's grandson, and letters to Ebenezer's brother Francis (1808-1878). A letter to Ebenezer Putnam from G. P. Osgood regarding Hawthorne's appointment as postmaster and papers of Francis Putnam which contain correspondence and accounts concerning his horticultural interest were added to the collection.

Series V. Miscellaneous Papers includes 1848 reports of the Naumkeag Steam Cotton Mill, notes on the first houses of Salem, and miscellaneous school exercises.