The collection contains the manuscript for John Hilton's book HARDLY ANY FENCES: BAJA CALIFORNIA IN 1933-1959, which was published by Dawson's Bookshop as volume 38 of their Baja California Travel Series. Included are original typescripts for individual chapters, many of which were omitted from the published version. Also included in the collection is correspondence regarding publication, some reproductions of Hilton's paintings used as illustrations in the book and miscellaneous production materials.

John Hilton, desert painter and author, attended school and worked in the Los Angeles area until the Depression when he moved to the desert a few miles south of Indio. There he painted desert landscapes, wrote magazine articles and travelled extensively in Sonora, Mexico. In 1950, he moved to Twentynine Palms where he continued to paint and write, often teaching art to supplement his income.