Isom Cranfill lived in various areas of Oregon, working as a cabinetmaker, farmer, and itinerant preacher. He was justice of the peace in Clackamas County in 1848 and ran a general store in Oregon City from 1849-1850. The collection consists mainly of diaries: 1847, 1860, and 1863–1877 (16 volumes). The 1847 diary is an account of his overland journey and the others are a record of daily activities in Oregon.