Postcards from Appalachia contains postcards depicting various landmarks, locations, and scenery in the Appalachian region during the first half of the 20th century.

The collection includes a letter from John S. Powers to Nellie E. Williams on November 23, 1862 and a sprig from a boxwood tree. Powers letter includes a personal description of conditions in Alexandria, local sites, and news.

The collection consists of family papers, receipts, correspondence, and original and photocopied materials relating to the Preston family, primarily William and Susanna Smith Preston, John Preston, and William Ballard Preston, dating from the 1740s to the 1880s. Other materials include 19th and 20th century genealogy research on the Prestons.

The Didier Collection of Preston Family Papers includes papers of James Patton, Patton's grandson William Preston, and Preston's eldest son, John Preston, all of Montgomery County, Virginia. The papers consist of business and legal documents, surveys, and correspondence.

The Preston Family Correspondence consists of two letters. The first is written by James Francis Preston to his wife, Sarah Caperton Preston; he details the events of and his involvement in the First Battle of Bull Run during the American Civil War. The second letter is written by Sarah to Colonel Grabowski and discusses her son’s (Hugh Caperton Preston) failure to follow an order at Preston and Olin Institute (now Virginia Tech).

The collection includes a receipt issued to Francis Preston of an amount totaling 9 pounds paid to Robert McGee on behalf of Michael Drake in 1791.

The collection contains a note from Nelson Preston to Captain Robinet discussing the training and muster of the 94th militia regiment from Lee County, Virginia.

The collection consists of 218 letters, military orders, notes, certificates of military appointments, and other items, collected or created by Preston between 1849 and 1871, with the majority from the period between May 1861 and December 1862.

The collection contains personal memorabilia, consisting largely of honors and awards, of Samuel Davis Preston, a graduate of Virginia Tech (class of 1923) and member of the university's board of visitors (1952-1960).

The Sarah Buchanan Preston Land Deed collection is a manuscript copy of a land transfer indenture statement for lands in Russell, Tazewell, and Scott counties, Virginia. The land was sold by Preston to John and Edward Fulton of Washington County, Virginia, in 1835.