Julius Dietrich was a well-liked, prominent resident of Bloomington for almost two decades. He was probably best known for being the owner and editor of the Bloomington Journal, the only German-language newspaper in McLean County and generally regarded as one of the best in central Illinois.

The Dietrich Collection consists both of public and private materials that primarily come from his life in Bloomington, Illinois. The collection is in one small box. There are 13 folders in the box and one post card album.