Box 1 contains correspondence, primarily of a business nature, sent and received by William Goddard; arranged chronologically.

Box 2 contains general business and shipping papers, also arranged chronologically. Several ships are mentioned.

Box 3 holds Bills of Lading sorted by vessel and arranged chronologically.

Box 4 is a collection of miscellaneous material including a ship's photo, testimony and court briefs pertaining to business litigation claims, family papers, genealogy information, a Sprague "Private Telegraphic Code" an Erving family letterbook, Goddard family diary, 2 books of poetry and verse, Erving family letters which extend to English history of the family.

Volumes 1 through 28 contain miscellaneous business books, such as invoices, orders, sales, accounts, bills, ledger, letter copybooks, check stub book, logbooks of four ships, invoice and contract books of the New Haven Copper Works, "Freight Measurements" of Goddard & Thompson; and a Goddard family diary dated 1856.