
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.
Adam is taken hostage by a band of U.S. Army prisoners who have escaped and sought refuge on the Ponderosa.
The Morgan gang swears revenge for the death of young Billy Morgan whom Ben killed during a bank robbery.
A wanderer seeking his parents' lynchers, arrives in Virginia City as Ben and Adam are convicted of murder.
Accused of killing a dance hall girl, Adam tries to evade lynchers and uncover the truth; guest Buddy Ebsen.