The Stimpson Family papers date from 1866 to 1998.  However, the bulk of the papers date from 1920 to 1990.  They comprise the records of several generations of the Stimpson and Watts families, both influential members of the Bellingham community since the early 1900s. The records in the collection reflect their community involvement as well as the internal workings of these two prominent families.

The bulk of the material in the collection pertains to Edward K. Stimpson and Catharine C. “Kitty” (Watts) Stimpson.  The collection contains a large amount of correspondence between Stimpson family members, most notably between Kitty and Edward from the time of their courtship through Edward's military service in World War II.  While correspondence makes up the largest part of the papers, there are other types of records as well.  The collection contains numerous documents pertaining to Kitty's charitable and political activities, as well as the civic and educational achievements of Edward K. Stimpson.  Awards, plaques and honors individually given to both Edward and Kitty are also well-documented in the collection.

The Stimpson Family papers also contain material from Edward and Kitty's children: Edward, Catharine R., Mary, Susan, Jane, Caroline, and John.  Among the seven children, material pertaining to Catharine R. Stimpson is the most abundant.  These materials primarily deal with her educational documents from high school, junior high school to Bryn Mawr College.

The collection also contains a small amount of material generated by other members of the Stimpson and Watts families as well as photographs and documents from the Stimpson and Watts families dating back to the 1830s.