The fonds contains source material mainly related to Minnie Hallowell Bowen's literary writings, community and political implicatons, and personal life at the turn of the 20th century. Many of her poems relate to local events, to the World Wars, and to Canadian and British politics. The fonds also provides information on the activities of Minnie's family members, including but not limited to: her husband Cecil H. Bowen, her son Lloyd H. Bowen, her daughter Rose Meredyth Bowen, Henry Bowen, Edward Bowen, Eleazar Clark, George Frederick Bowen, John Hallowell, William Bowen, Frank A. Bowen, Frederick Chamberlin Bowen, and Edward Hugh Bowen. The documents show their involvement mainly in the development of railways, in the mining industry, in the Armed Forces and Militia, in politics, in scouting, in church activities, and in social clubs and associations. Some documents are about the Fenian Raids, the Knights of Columbus, and the history of Sherbrooke.

The fonds consists of mainly manuscripts, correspondence, photocopies of press clippings, articles, publications, photographs, diaries, prospectuses, and drawings. It is comprised of the following series: Literary Works and Other Writings (1883-1941), Involvement in the Canadian Flag Issue ([1887?]-1946), Personal Life ([1863-1865]-1943), Lloyd H. Bowen (1865, 1902-1995), Cecil H. Bowen ([1866?]-1935, 1986), Other Family Members (1801-1940), and History of Sherbrooke ([1836?]-1967), Family History ([1752?-200-?]), Obituaries and Other Clippings (1836-1943, 1964-1997), Other Photographs and Graphic Material (1840-1956), Miscellaneous ([1835-1904?]).

This file contains primary source material on the professional life of Barbara Wark in Sherbrooke between 1952 and 1999. It consists primarily of a scrapbook from Barbara's nursing training and later career, as well as an interoffice telephone directory for the The Telegram (Toronto), newspaper clippings, and identification cards from Barbara's time as a reporter.