Episode
Wagon Train: The Will Santee Story
Overview
The Santee family---Will, his mother, and his younger sister---join the wagon train under a false surname. They have been forced out of town after town because of a terrible thing a family member did. They confide in Hale, Hawks, and Charlie, who agree to keep their secret from the others on the train. But it soon comes out anyway, and things get complicated when Will falls for a young woman from the wagon train.
Details
- Series
- Wagon Train
- Season
- Season 4
- Episode
- Episode 31
- Air date
- 1961-05-03
Episode context
The Will Santee Story is Episode 31 in Season 4 of Wagon Train. It aired on 1961-05-03.
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Episode 30: The Duke Shannon Story
With his clever tall tales, old prospector Henry Shannon talks Charlie Wooster into coming with him to search for a gold mine. When Hawks finds out about this, he rides out after the two men, along with Shannon's grandson Duke. Also following the old men are three men who hope to grab the gold for themselves.
Episode 32: The Jim Bridger Story
An Army general announces he is taking over the wagon train and requiring all members to act as soldiers in helping him rescue a trapped cavalry garrison of 120 men who are otherwise likely to be slaughtered by hostile Utes. Flint, temporarily in charge of the wagon train, has little choice but to agree to the general's demand, as much as he hates it and his passengers want him to fight back. Particularly upsetting to Flint is learning that the man who recommended this takeover was Jim Bridger, a legendary frontiersman and scout who mostly raised Flint and whom he idolized.
More episodes from this season
Episode 29: The Joe Muharich Story
Polish immigrant Joe Muharich tries to befriend and hopefully straighten out Johnny Kamen, a brash young man who doesn't take well to anyone giving orders to him. Joe has lost his wife and son to thugs, and now he reacts violently to any attempt to harass or intimidate him. When Johnny accidentally shoots a woman while reacting against drunken thugs, Joe tries to defend him. But the thugs who harassed Johnny then harass Joe and start fire to his wagon, causing Joe to react by shooting the men and killing one of them
Episode 33: The Eleanor Culhane Story
Flint goes to visit Eleanor Culhane, an old flame of his who had been married to a notorious gunman. He finds everyone in the town she lives in shunning her, and unwilling to discuss her, because they blame her for her husband's misdeeds and the shame he caused the town. When Flint finds her they begin to rekindle their romance. But then her husband, thought dead for the last five years, shows up in town. And Flint realizes there is another side to Eleanor that he was unaware of as well.
Episode 28: The Saul Bevins Story
Saul Bevins, a blind doctor traveling with his son, his sister, and his dog, asks to join the wagon train. Many others on the train object that he will slow them down, but Hale agrees to let him ride at least until the next settlement, at which time the entire wagon train will vote on whether he should continue. On the way Bevins is forced to overcome many obstacles.
Episode 34: The Chalice
An Italian immigrant couple needs help in transporting water for their grapevines to California. Unfortunately, the two men who offer the use of their wagon plan to steal the treasure they've heard the immigrants are carrying in return for their services.
Episode 27: The Nellie Jefferson Story
When actress Nellie Jefferson joins the wagon train, her incessant demands for special treatment come to grate on Hale and Hawks, but Wooster is totally smitten with her. Meanwhile a fanatical man from her past is following her, talking about how she will meet her fate like the biblical Jezebel.
Episode 35: The Janet Hale Story
A flashback episode - Chris Hale's duties as wagonmaster require him to leave his family in their prairie home.
Episode 26: The Tiburcio Mendez Story
Bill Hawks is leading four wagons through to California when they are stopped by Tiburcio Mendez and his band of renegades, who demand they turn back. Mendez and his group claim that California is their land and that it was stolen by the later settlers. A judge traveling with Hawks' group believes that Mendez has a legitimate grievance which could be addressed by the legislature in Sacramento, and against Hawks' warning goes in to Mendez' camp to talk with him. When Hawks follows, both he and the judge are taken prisoner.
Episode 36: Wagon to Fort Anderson
Flint comes across four survivors of an Indian massacre, the two Ellison sisters and two Carder brothers. One of the sisters is deaf and mute. The brothers are the only survivors of their Army unit. The older brother, Joe, wants to desert and take advantage of the situation in order to break away and look for gold. The younger brother, George, is simple-minded and good-hearted but loyal to the older one who raised him. Flint tries to lead the four to safety, but Joe Carder tries to mislead the Ellison sisters into believing that Flint is leading them into danger.
Episode 25: The Christopher Hale Story
Flint meets Chris Hale alone on the prairie. Hale has just found his entire family massacred by Indians, and Flint asks him to join the wagon train. However, the company that owns the wagon train has hired a new wagonmaster, Jud Benedict. Benedict is a ruthless and brutal tyrant who puts time above all other considerations, and does not care how many people are left behind or even die in the process of heading to the final destination as soon as possible. He has also hired unscrupulous gunmen to enforce this goal by brutalizing slower people, or anyone who stands up to him. It is revealed that Hale has also been a wagonmaster, but has retired from the job and does not ever want such a responsibility again. Still, people on the train are looking to Hale to stand up to Benedict.
Episode 37: The Ah Chong Story
Dissatisfied with Charley Wooster, Hale and Hawks push for a new cook - a Chinese cook named Ah Chong.