The final book in the Mills of Rockingham County series, Volume Four contains mill information from Dr. John W. Wayland’s personal notes and a number of his photographs, some of which have never been published. Later photographs from local historian, the late Agnes Kline, contrast some of Wayland’s photographs from the 1920s and 30s. Many of her notes about mills and photographs from the 1950s have never been published until now.

Incredibly, the compilers found 32 more Rockingham County mills for this book that had not been covered in the previous works. Additional information and photos are included for 80 mills from the first three volumes. Photographs are the highlights of this volume; 525 wonderful pictures of milling and farming combine to give a nostalgic look at life in Rockingham County when 90% of its residents were farmers. The chapter on the roving threshing machines shows how technology eased the farmer’s work. The chapter contains one of the oldest photos, a threshing scene from 1892, and several photos of steam engines which toured the county at threshing time. Volume Four’s 700 pages also include nearly 300 invoices, letters, and other memorabilia. The color cover features a painting of Turner Mill by Dr. James R. Brunk of Harrisonburg.

Two last-minute discoveries occurred just in time to be included in the book—photos of paper flour sacks from Lynnwood Mill which are thought to be the oldest paper sacks for a Rockingham County mill, and photos of two rare flour bags from Dayton Roller Mills at Silver Lake in Dayton.