Chiefly personal letters of John R. Black (freighter captain on the Great Lakes) to his parents. The letters are written from Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Ashtabula, Detroit, Marquette, Cleveland, Hancock, and Milwaukee. Occasional letters of other family members, including William A. (Will) Black, Thomas Black, George Black, and Margaret Black. Also, personal letters to members of the Black family from friends and relatives. Of interest is a letter from a cousin (no name, 1900) from North Killarney, Australia which mentions war [Spanish American], the Australian bicycle craze, the Irish hope for home rule; also a letter from Caroline Robins to her uncle, Thomas Black, on the evils of women marrying at a young age.