Papers, 1890-1966, documenting the Coughlin and Gray Family history in Isle Royale and the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan. The collection includes newspaper clippings, black and white photographs, and the personal account of May Gray nee Coughlin during her childhood years spent on Isle Royale, Michigan from 1890-1892.

May Coughlin’s diary entries cover a wide-range of topics regarding life on Isle Royale, especially during the harsh winter months. She writes of the family’s living accommodations, grocery supplies and cooking, transportation, education for the children, recreational activities, and life events involving the Coughlin family as well as the few other families on the island. Descriptions of natural landscapes and duties and activities of miners are also included.