Bartholomew was a resident of Rooks County and Hays, Ellis County, Kansas. He was a horticulturalist, internationally known for his work with fungi. He was active in Republican Party politics, local government, the United Presbyterian Church, farm organizations, and experimental farming. The collection consists of Bartholomew's incoming correspondence, arranged alphabetically; postcards, certificates, and other miscellaneous materials; and Bartholomew's diaries, which he wrote throughout much of his life and which are also microfilmed. His correspondence deals almost entirely with the subject of fungi, and correspondents include Mark Alfred Carleton, George Washington Carver, Job Bicknell Ellis, and Leo Edward Melchers. The diaries provide information about homesteading in Kansas, farming operations, and Bartholomew's participation in social and civic activities of the community in Rooks County, Kansas.
