The Josie Thurston papers date from 1893 to 2002 and measure 12 linear inches. The papers are arranged in three series: Personal, Professional, and Photographs.

The Personal series contains many short stories Thurston wrote for a correspondence course she took through the State University of Iowa (now the University of Iowa) in the early 1930s. Many of these stories are based on the character of her great-grandmother, Lucy Des Mond. An encounter between Des Mond and a Civil War veteran who gave her a Civil War flag while staying at her boarding house, for example, was the inspiration for the story "The Patriot." Both the story and material pertaining to this flag--which Des Mond passed down to Thurston--can be found in this series. The series also includes correspondence with the instructor for the writing course, Professor John T. Frederick (Frederick was the editor of the literary magazine The Midland, which published essays, fiction, and poetry about the Midwest from 1915 to 1933); and correspondence with Mary Parker, the travel editor for Mademoiselle Magazine. Photos of Ellsworth College taken during John Stout's presidency, and pages of significance to the Stout family have been marked in Ellsworth College: A Pictorial History.

The Professional series includes several travel and society page articles Thurston wrote for various publications throughout her career. One article titled "The Battle of the Bulge" from 1948 evaluates the efficacy of exercising machines for losing weight, complete with photos of young women in bathing suits demonstrating their use. Thurston conducted extensive research on the Eugene Ellsworth family. The series includes a published article, "The Empire Builders of Iowa Falls," and her notes with historical background on the north central Iowa town of Iowa Falls and surrounding areas. The papers from Lake Mills High, where Thurston taught for two years before her marriage, include photos from the fiftieth reunion of the class of 1917, at which Thurston was a guest of honor.

The Photographs series includes an extensive collection of photos taken during Thurston's press tours, many photos of her as a young girl, and photos of her before she became a journalist. Her Iowa Falls Class of 1909 class photo is included.