The Fusz and Backer Collection contains correspondence, financial records, legal records, reports, and other company records for the Merrimac Silver Mining Company from the late 1870s until the early 20th century. The company operated in Tucson, Arizona, but was owned by Louis Fusz and George Backer of St. Louis, two prominent businessmen who were also heavily involved in the local flour business. Notable in the collection are the correspondence in the 1880s from William K. Meade, who acted as an agent for the company and whose letters reveal its day-to-day operations. Many of the company’s originating articles can be found in the stockholder records and certificates. The collection contains a large number of ledgers, bills, and pay vouchers in the financial records that reveal the company’s internal expenses, while the legal documents cover matters related to claims, lawsuits, and patents.