The James Whitcomb Riley material in the collection includes tour receipts, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, and 1903; letters and copies of letters, 1901-1917, written by Dickey as Riley's secretary and biographer; manuscripts of writings of Dickey about Riley, including an early holograph draft and a revised typescript of "The maturity of James Whitcomb Riley," a complete early holograph draft, a revised partial typescript (Chap. 1-17) and a later typescript of Chap. 18 only of "The Youth of James Whitcomb Riley," a partial early draft and two later typescripts of "Memories of James Whitcomb Riley," a holograph draft of the "Orphant Annie book," five typescripts of "Orphant Annie days," and miscellaneous articles; notes relating to Riley; letters written to Dickey, 1892-1925, primarily related to Dickey's search for material for Riley's biography; an undated "Index to the Works of James Whitcomb Riley," by Katherine Josephine Dowling; and an undated bibliography of Riley's writings appearing in newspapers.

Other papers of Dickey in the collection include his diaries, 1885-1896 and 1908; a typescript of "The Forest Life of Abraham Lincoln;" three typescripts of "The Light of Beacon Ridge;" miscellaneous short writings; and scrapbooks.

Also included are autograph books 1872, 1878, and 1879, and scrapbooks of Isabelle E. (White) Dickey, and a "Diary kept first time in crossing the ocean from Glasgow to New York," September 12-October 5, 1879, by J.A. Campbell.

Among the Miscellaneous items is a block of unfinished wood, 9 3/4 x 4 7/8 x 1 inches, on which is written in pencil in the hand of John Marcus Dickey a verse in the style of James Whitcomb Riley.