
Ben Cartwright is the patriarch of an all-male Nevada ranching family. Set during and after the Civil War, "Bonanza" is the story of life on the family's thousand-acre spread, known as the Ponderosa, near Virginia City. Ben has his three sons, each with a different (and deceased) mother. Serious eldest son Adam hopes to follow in his father's footsteps; middle son Hoss is a gentle giant -- physically strong, but sometimes naive; and youngest son Little Joe is the most impetuous and romantic of the offspring.

Hoss and Little Joe spend the most unforgettable night at the carnival when Little Joe's date disappears.

Adam is taken hostage by a band of U.S. Army prisoners who have escaped and sought refuge on the Ponderosa.

A sheriff's daughter runs off with her boyfriend (John Ericson), unaware he is a murderous bank robber.

A wanderer seeking his parents' lynchers, arrives in Virginia City as Ben and Adam are convicted of murder.