Although few in number, the documents in this fonds are interesting the many insights they contain into the history of the local area. They consist mostly of land transactions, mortgages, declarations, and power of attorney. Some seem to have been retained as they pertain to personal or family business of members of the firm, such as documents relating to the estate of Christian Kumpf, whose daughter married A.B. McBride.

Some documents relate to well known names in the history of the area, such as David Kuntz of Kuntz Breweries and John Hoffman, for whom a survey of Waterloo was done in 1855, Thomas Hilliard, Charles Noecker, Ford S. Kumpf, etc.

Evidence of printing activity is present in legal forms printed by local booksellers and stationers for the firm. The documents contain evidence of trades and occupations of the time, including marble cutter, tailor, hotel keeper, farmer, woolen mill employee, button turner, shoe merchant, cabinet maker, tobbaconist, cigar box manufaturer, brewer, pumpmaker, telephone agent, etc. Also interesting to note is the shift to the use of a typewriter and the appearance of a female employee described as a "stenographer." Interesting also is the relative level of literacy evident in the signatures of individuals, particularly those of husbands and wives, many of whom are represented only by their "mark."

Accrual consists of material relating to the activities of the Waterloo law firm Haney, Haney, Kendall & Melville under various former names (including MacGachen & Colquhoun, and Colquhoun & McBride), as well as material relating to the family history of some of the firm's members.

Includes mostly deeds of land, mortgages, declarations, and correspondence; a will, a marriage contract, a birth registration, an insurance policy, a grant of burial lot, and other documents are also present. Accrual also contains two auction sale posters. Most of the documents were created in the local area, and some were created in England and Scotland.

Several files contain deeds and mortgages for Lot 9 and part of Lot 10 in the village of St. Jacobs, showing transfer in ownership from Levi Cress to Christian Henrich in 1884, through several other parties, to John L. Horst and his wife Selina Horst in 1953. Several files also contain material relating to a Fred Kempf and his property in Elmira. Some of the documents seem to have been retained for their relation to personal or family business of members of the firm.