The collection consists of the papers of Alvin T. Smith, an early emigrant to Oregon and postmaster at Tualatin (later Forest Grove), Oregon, in the 1850s. A substantial portion of the collection consists of both originals and typescript and microfilmed copies of Smith's diaries, which in part describe his journey westward in 1840 and 1841 and his time at Henry H. Spalding's mission. The collection also includes records and correspondence relating to Smith's tenure as postmaster. These materials include lists of newspaper and magazine subscriptions, lists of received mail, quarterly reports, and an oath that Smith's wife, Abigail Smith, took to become deputy postmaster.

Other materials in the collection include personal and business correspondence, financial papers, materials relating to the Congregational Church and to Tualatin Academy (later Pacific University), and family papers. Family papers include the correspondence of Smith's wives, Abigail Smith and Jane Maria Smith; a family tree; and an 1823 letter to Thomas Danforth of Augusta, Georgia, from Danforth's father and brother, though Danforth's connection to Smith is not known.