The Deweese Ware DeWitt papers contains material relating to him, his wife and his mother. The bulk of the collection is material that directly relates to Deweese W. DeWitt’s early life. The collection consists of genealogical material, scrapbook, materials from his time at Burdett College, personal financial records such as bank books and ledgers, photographs, and his diary.

The scrapbook contains calling cards, letters, graduation exercises and programs, class work, newspaper clippings, photographs, programs, licenses, expense books, paintings, and Dewitt Grocery Store statements. The scrapbook documents Deweese’s life up to 1931. It contains Deweese DeWitt’s birth announcement and calling cards and letters offering congratulations to his parents. Deweese documented his education in the scrapbook by including the graduation exercises and programs, class work books, and a catalogue of classes available at Chester High School. The scrapbook contains the marriage service booklet along with the newspaper clipping announcing his marriage to Eleanor. He included information about his interests with membership cards and licenses, a program from a play, and material that document his trips including expense books and menus. There are also financial statements about the DeWitt Grocery Company that are included in the scrapbook.

The entries in his diary were recorded in twelve volumes from 1912 to 1921 when Deweese was 23 to 32 years old. The entries document his daily activities, weather, activities with his future wife and friends, and information about who he was corresponding with and their addresses.

The photographs are a mix of single photographs and albums. The albums contain mounted photographs taken during trips with family and friends. The photo albums include many photographs taken while hiking or at the top of mountains in Vermont. There are also several photos of the Maine Centennial parade and the USS Utah in Portland Harbor.

The remaining collection represents his wife, Eleanor (Randall) DeWitt, and his mother, Lena (Ware) DeWitt. Information about Eleanor (Randall) DeWitt is found in her papers from a library course that she took and her diary. The single volume of her diary in this collection is thought to be her only known diary in which she records her daily activities such as trips and makes comments on the weather. The collection also includes copies from Lena (Ware) DeWitt’s album of photos and newspaper clippings owned by a third party.