The collection consists of assembled materials from various sources regarding the history of early exploration of the land that would become Kansas in the 19th century. It includes information regarding 18th century French and 16th century Spanish explorations. Types of materials include translations of documents and private papers, correspondence, copies of original materials in French, histories, and other such materials. Individual explorers represented in the collection include Sieur Etienne Vengard de Bourgmont, Pierre Margry, Claude Charles du Tisne, Le Page du Pratz, and Francisco Vasquez de Coronado's expeditionary members, including Friar Juan de Padilla, Antonio de Mendoza, and Juan Jaramillo. Also included is a telling of "the arrival of four savages of the Mississippi in Paris" in 1757 and some information and correspondence regarding Spanish explorations in the 18th century. Most of the French materials were translated by Edward Kilian.
