The Mount Zion Methodist Church traces its official beginnings from 1892, however the Georgia Methodist Episcopal Conference provided support for the church long before this. Through the efforts of James Mitchell and the conference, a seminary was built for the students of Mount Zion in the 1880s. It would serve as the first public full-time school for children in the area. The seminary was a key public service for the area for nearly half a century before turning its role over to the local public school system as the population grew in size. Much of this collection includes material relating to the histories of this seminary and the education systems that grew out of it.

Striblen Jackson Dorsey (1934-2020) served as mayor and city councilman for Mount Zion and was a prominent member of the community for much of his life. During his career as a public servant, Dorsey proposed the idea of a health clinic inside the city limits of Mount Zion for its constituents, which has since become a reality that has served its community for decades. He was a prominent supporter of the public school system of Mount Zion and countless other public services. Jack Dorsey was also an enthusiastic preservationist, compiling this material with the intention of one day collaborating with the Mount Zion Methodist Church in developing a local historical center. Much of this collection's material was donated by his estate for the efforts of preservation and improved accessibility.