The collection spans the years 1845 through 2003 (with the bulk of materials dating 1885-1917) and includes correspondence between four generations of family members, photographs, business papers, household receipts, postcard albums, and scrapbooks. Collectively these papers show the family ties that the family maintained over more than 100 years, as well as social and business relationships that the family maintained in San Antonio. The collection is arranged by generation beginning with Susan Jones and her sister Mary. The second generation leads off with Susan Maria Negley and her husband William, and consists of letters to and from Susan and William as well as letters to their children, her siblings, several aunts and uncles, and William's siblings and cousins. The third generation consists of Richard Negley, Walter Negley, and Gertrude Negley and Rupert Gresham Sr., with the fourth generation consisting of Rupert Gresham, Jr. and his sister Susan Crudgington Davidge. Within the latter's papers are photographs of her daughters, Susan, Libby, and Keith.

Within each generation, documents are filed by format, the bulk of which are letters to and from mostly family members. Letters are filed with the person to whom the letter is written. What few outgoing letters that exist would be filed under the receiver's name. There are also a number of photographs in this collection. In the nineteenth century, the images consist of a few studio portraits, then with the early twentieth century, both studio portraits and snapshots, with the final photographs of the Crudgington girls in the 1980's consisting of only snapshots. The collection includes three panoramic photographs – one from Bryn Mawr, Gertrude's alma mater; one from Exeter; and one of a Yale Harvard game on November 25, 1916. Of especial note is the beautiful late nineteenth century photograph album which includes well preserved, but unidentified, cabinet cards. Photographers from Maryland, New York and San Antonio are represented.

The bulk of the correspondence dates roughly from 1885 through 1916. The majority of the letters are written between Susan (Susie) M. Jones Negley and her husband William B. Negley, as well as letters to and from their children: Richard Van Wyck, William Walter (Walter) and Rose Gertrude Negley (Gertrude). The letters between Susie and William begin when they are courting and cover such topics as domestic life, shopping, and wedding planning. Once these two were married their letters discussed family, domestic, and household issues. William traveled to the ranch in Eagle Pass every summer for three to four months and during these times the letters between them are almost daily. They discuss missing each other, household and ranch activities, the birth of their children, the children's behavior and health, as well as extended family activities. Susie at times went to New York to be with her family during her husband's absences and sometimes her Aunt Nettie came to San Antonio to help with the younger children.

The letters from Susie, to and from Richard and Walter date from the time they are at school at Exeter and then Yale (and Richard spent a short time at Dartmouth.) The letters discuss the boy's studies, their activities, and primarily financial issues concerning school. The boys ask for money to pay for room and board, books and supplies, clothes and a typewriter. Of interest is the different ways the boys ask their parents for money. Richard always stated he could make do with what he had if the asking was a hardship, while Walter always spent his allowance very quickly and then asked for more money. Richard's school letters also talk about joining fraternities.

There are also letters from Susie's extended family members including her sisters and cousins, and these cover topics of family activities including weddings and deaths, travel, household and daily activities. Walter, Richard and Gertrude occasionally wrote to each other, though there is little correspondence between Susie and Gertrude. Other generations write mostly about domestic issues, and include wedding invitations, funeral notices, and announcements about new births. In the correspondence of Gertrude, there are ten inches of materials related to Rupert Gresham, Sr.'s death, especially letters of condolence and memorial cards.

Of less bulk is the variety of other materials in the Family Papers. The earliest generations have mainly letters and photographs, but within Susie Negley's materials are household receipts, scrapbooks, programs, and a recipe book. The receipts document the expenses needed to run the household, from food, to repairs, to purchasing clothing, school supplies, and car parts. Susie's scrapbooks include photographs, newspaper clippings, and poetry. There is also a pressed-flower book of bouquets received by Susie from William during a month of their courtship in Texas from April 5 to May 13, 1885. William and Susie were the recipients of many postcards, and they created an album. Their daughter Gertrude compiled two scrapbooks, one with photographs of a golfing trip to California and a trip she and Rupert took to Yosemite. She also created a postcard album and some of the postcards were sent through the mail. Finally, Susan Crudgington created four books that document her high school and college years, and her time as a queen of Fiesta.

William Negley's papers include several files about his interests in mining companies and ranching. Richard's papers include some business things, but mostly documents relating to his father's (William) estate. Rupert Sr. has the most items referring to his career as a lawyer, mainly photographs, but also his diploma, awards he received during his life, newsclippings, and a speech.

Gertrude and Rupert's wedding, 25th and 50th anniversaries are documented in the collection. Also, there is extensive documentation from her time as a school girl, with short reports written on a variety of topics. Susan and Rupert as children are highly photographed, and there are snapshots of Susan's three girls, but other than a few other documents, little is existent.