Ben Thresher's mill is one of the few water-powered, wood-working mills left in this country. Operating in rural Vermont since 1848, the mill is a unique link between the age of craft and the age of modern industry. Ben still uses his machines and finely crafted tools to turn out a watering tub (a task that he accomplishes in one day), and a horsedrawn sled for his neighbors in the farming community. The film evokes the quality of rural New England life, and at the same time provides a close, step-by-step view of Ben's woodworking processes.