The papers include astronomical observations, computations, comparative star lists, teaching materials, and published articles. The papers consist of nineteen notebooks, five offprints and two manuscript essays. The first four notebooks pertain principally to Safford's teaching at the first University of Chicago. They include lecture notes, problems, class lists, and grades for his classes in astronomy and mathematics. The next seven notebooks record primarily astronomical observations made by Safford at the Dearborn Observatory and other facilities in the period 1854-1875. Many of the observations are of the planets Neptune and Saturn, various nebulae, and the star Polaris.