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. In this excerpt, Ben uses his machines and finely crafted tools to turn out a horse-drawn 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. The film was part of PBS's Odyssey Series. In an attempt to cut the often esoteric ice of anthropology, PBS released in 1980 the first season of ODYSSEY, a newly-created series of anthropological documentaries, with a second season in 1981. The entire series was produced by Public Broadcasting Associates of Boston, with major funding by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding was provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Polaroid. Michael Ambrosino is the Executive Producer of the series.