The series initially starred veteran movie supporting actor Ward Bond as the wagon master, later replaced upon his death by John McIntire, and Robert Horton as the scout, subsequently replaced by lookalike Robert Fuller a year after Horton had decided to leave the series. The series was inspired by the 1950 film Wagon Master directed by John Ford and starring Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr. and Ward Bond, and harkens back to the early widescreen wagon train epic The Big Trail starring John Wayne and featuring Bond in his first major screen appearance playing a supporting role. Horton's buckskin outfit as the scout in the first season of the television series resembles Wayne's, who also played the wagon train's scout in the earlier film.
Wagon Train (Season 5)
The Captain Dan Brady Story (Episode 1)
Air date: 1961-09-27
Overview: Captain Dan Brady, a colorful, boisterous and well known veteran frontier scout who is famous throughout the East, is demanding to be taken on as trail scout. Hale faces a dilemma as he will lose a Government mail contract that is necessary to finance the wagon train if he doesn't hire Brady. But he will lose Flint, angered by Brady's bad advice to members of the wagon train, who threatens to quit if Brady stays on.
The Kitty Albright Story (Episode 2)
Air date: 1961-10-04
Overview: Kitty Albright is a registered nurse who's stagecoach is attacked and destroyed. Flint agrees to let her use her new skill on the wagon train. She quickly becomes disturbed at the lack of hygiene and health in general around the train.
The Maud Frazer Story (Episode 3)
Air date: 1961-10-11
Overview: Maud Frazer takes command of her wagon train after all the men are killed. Flint tries to dissuade Maud from going through hostile Indian country where there is gold.. She proceeds anyway but is forced to change plans.
The Selena Hartnell Story (Episode 4)
Air date: 1961-10-18
Overview: Selena Hartnell joins the train after bandits attack her wagon. Later, she reveals she is a bounty hunter looking for William Barrett, a murderer on the run. It turns out that Barrett is Will Cottrell, the leader of pacifists on the train.
The Clementine Jones Story (Episode 5)
Air date: 1961-10-25
Overview: Clementine Jones is in the process of being thrown out of a town when a bank robbery occurs. One of the fugitives ends up joining the wagon train on the same wagon as one of the bank robbers is trying to escape on.
The Jenna Douglas Story (Episode 6)
Air date: 1961-11-01
Overview: Jenna Douglas is found by scouts for the wagon train. She appears to have been a victim of a scavenger attack and is adopted by the train. As time goes on people on the train begin to have doubts about her story and her mental state.
The Artie Matthewson Story (Episode 7)
Air date: 1961-11-08
Overview: Duke finds Flint's dying foster mother who asks Flint to check on her real son Artie who she hasn't seen in five years and has a reputation for getting into trouble with the law. Flint finds him on the right side of the law - or is he.
The Mark Miner Story (Episode 8)
Air date: 1961-11-15
Overview: Mark Miner and his younger brother Matthew join the wagon train after making it appear their own wagon has broken down. The passengers of the train enjoy Mark's guitar and singing, but soon items and money begin disappearing. What they don't realize is that the two brothers want to frame Duke Shannon for the thievery, because they blame him for the imprisonment of their father and want revenge for it.
The Bruce Saybrook Story (Episode 9)
Air date: 1961-11-22
Overview: Lord Bruce Saybrook, London millionaire, takes his brother, wife and employee out west on a hunting trip hoping to repair his relationships. They run into hostile Indians. During the ensuing battle, everyone's the true character comes out.
The Lizabeth Ann Calhoun Story (Episode 10)
Air date: 1961-12-06
Overview: Lizabeth Ann Calhoun meets the wagon train staff as they stop for supplies. She asks permission to join the train so she can avoid the advances of a young man she claims is in love with her, however his real motives may be very different.
The Traitor (Episode 11)
Air date: 1961-12-13
Overview: Flint McCullough's involvement in a horse-stealing operation proves that he's ""gone bad."" Reluctantly, Chris Hale sentences him to 20 lashes and permanent banishment from the wagon train. Bill Hawks refuses to flog his friend so the punishment's administered by Sgt. Oakes from nearby Fort Henderson. Hawks soon learns that Flint's uncharacteristic behavior is part of a plan to infiltrate the gang of notorious outlaw, Angel de Muerte. Flint now travels to the ranch of Sam Upton and his sister Madge, a place rumored to have ties with Muerte. The fresh welts on Flint's back persuade Sam to take Flint to meet Muerte, but Flint soon realizes this bearded man is a stand-in for the real Muerte -- none other than Sam Upton himself. While taking Upton to Major Hansen at Fort Henderson, the outlaw dies in an escape attempt. Flint decides to split the $10,000 reward money with Madge Upton who was unaware of her brother's dual identity.
The Bettina May Story (Episode 12)
Air date: 1961-12-20
Overview: Bettina May leads three generations of her family across the plains. Other members of the wagon train as well as some family members become concerned with her over bearing nature and the level of control she exerts on the family.
Clyde (Episode 13)
Air date: 1961-12-27
Overview: Charlie's life undergoes an epiphany when he finds an injured buffalo and the animal befriends him. He takes the buffalo, who he calls Clyde, into the wagon train as a pet. Others, however, don't appreciate the trouble the creature causes.
The Martin Onyx Story (Episode 14) 7.0
Writer: Robert Libott
Air date: 1962-01-03
Overview: A man finds a corpse that looks remarkably like himself. On an impulse he takes on the persona of the dead man only to find he was a living legend of west and had made a lot of enemies along the way.
The Dick Pederson Story (Episode 15)
Air date: 1962-01-10
Overview: Overwhelmed girl takes on her father's responsibility as man of the house after he passes. She cares for her pregnant mother and 5 sisters and is suspicious of a young drifter who joins the train and pays too much attention to the girls.
The Hobie Redman Story (Episode 16)
Air date: 1962-01-17
Overview: When three wagons are late in the desert, Chris sends Duke to find them and bring them to the wagon train as the train cannot wait for them. It may be a suicide mission due to water holes drying up and the missing people's personal issues.
The Malachi Hobart Story (Episode 17)
Air date: 1962-01-24
Overview: An old con man trys to fleece the wagon train members of money by pretending to be a preacher trying to raise funds to build a church. He is outfoxed by Duke but redeems himself by aiding a dying woman.
The Dr. Denker Story (Episode 18)
Air date: 1962-01-31
Overview: Bill spots a young boy alone on the trail. He passes out but they later learn he can't talk but that he saw his dad killed by strangers for no apparent reason. Later, they run into Dr. Denker taking musical instruments to California.
The Lonnie Fallon Story (Episode 19)
Air date: 1962-02-07
Overview: Cowboy Lonnie Fallon is in love with Kathy Jennings---but her strict father forbids the relationship.
The Jeff Hartfield Story (Episode 20)
Air date: 1962-02-14
Overview: Jeff Hartfield becomes concerned when his sister Jenny begins dating Dallas who threatens him with an orphanage at journey's end. Jeff takes off but Dallas follows with deadly intent, believing Jeff knows the location of $30,000.
The Daniel Clay Story (Episode 21)
Air date: 1962-02-21
Overview: Judge Clay and his family join the wagon train. He has a reputation for cleaning up frontier towns, but his fanatical attention to the law sees him ostracized as often as he is praised. He must face this when his son must be tried by him.
The Lieutenant Burton Story (Episode 22)
Air date: 1962-02-28
Overview: A young lieutenant on his first assignment must face an overbearing, murderous sergeant who is determined to kill two deserters in cold blood. The sergeant wounds Chris thinking he is one of them and into a feud with Flint at the train.
The Charley Shutup Story (Episode 23)
Air date: 1962-03-07
Overview: The wagon master encounters opposition when he calls a halt to the train due to weather. One group needs to push on due to an inheritance in California. Chris and Duke take them but Duke injures his foot forcing him to stay in a cabin.
The Amos Billings Story (Episode 24)
Air date: 1962-03-14
Overview: The wagon train encounters Amos Billings who tells of a new road that might shorten their trip and avoid Indian trouble. Chris and Flint are very suspicious of the situation since the location has been a dead end.
The Baylor Crowfoot Story (Episode 25)
Air date: 1962-03-21
Overview: A teacher traveling with the wagon train encounters conflict when he become attracted to the daughter of a medicine man who has just joined the train. The man despises cowards and sees the teacher as one.
The George B. Hanrahan Story (Episode 26)
Air date: 1962-03-28
Overview: Ousted medicine man predicts future of wagon train passenger. Is it a hoax or real?
The Swamp Devil (Episode 27)
Air date: 1962-04-04
Runtime: 60 min
Overview: A section of the wagon train splits to attempt a crossing of a dangerous swamp. On the way they hear stories from the local Indians of a strange creatures living in the swamp. Flint has a secret worry as he leads them.
The Cole Crawford Story (Episode 28)
Air date: 1962-04-11
Overview: The young Crawford couple is trying to leave their past behind but having difficulty doing it. The wagon train is crossing a massive ranch and the owner's son refuses to let Mrs. Crawford leave nor will the train members help them.
The Levi Hale Story (Episode 29)
Air date: 1962-04-18
Overview: Chris Hale is traveling to the Wyoming prison to pick up his brother Levi---who's about to be released from prison. Chris assumed Levi was pardoned but he was paroled to Chris. He must keep Levi out of Wyoming or he will be hanged.
The Terry Morrell Story (Episode 30)
Air date: 1962-04-25
Overview: After the Sheriff escorts Ben Morrell and his son Terry to the wagon train, the members find Ben Morrell and his son very antisocial: the two can't even tolerate each other. One woman wants to adopt Terry believing he is being mistreated.
The Jud Steele Story (Episode 31)
Air date: 1962-05-02
Overview: Bill Hawks returns the horse and belongings of a horse thief he shot to the local town sheriff. These identify the thief as a long dead war hero with a monument in the middle of town who was declared dead after a payroll robbery.
The Mary Beckett Story (Episode 32)
Air date: 1962-05-09
Overview: A Frenchman arouses strong---and polarized---emotions among the wagon train members: men distrust him, women adore him. He owes a substantial gambling debt and plans to pay it off by convincing a woman to pay it until he is killed.
The Nancy Davis Story (Episode 33)
Air date: 1962-05-16
Overview: The Nancy Davis Story Flint stops in a saloon with Bill and Charlie where he learns the whereabouts of a man he's been hunting for years---to kill. Bill has to restrain Flint who lapses into recalling his fiancé Nancy Lee Davis and his search for her killer.
The Frank Carter Story (Episode 34)
Writer: Steven Ritch
Air date: 1962-05-23
Overview: Duke's resemblance to gambler Jason Carter makes him the target for a murderer's bullet when he visits Jason Carter's hometown looking for supplies. Jason has been missing for five years and only one man knows the truth about him.
The John Turnbull Story (Episode 35)
Air date: 1962-05-30
Overview: Bill and Charlie looking for horses help out an old friend John Turnbull (an Ute lawyer) defend his reservation against local land sharks who look to initiate a range war so the army will push the local residents off their land.
The Hiram Winthrop Story (Episode 36)
Air date: 1962-06-06
Overview: Duke quits the wagon train to take up a steady position as Deputy Indian Agent at San Marcos on an Apache reservation under Hiram Winthrope. Hiram is an Easterner with ideas of teaching the nomadic Apache to become farmers.
The Heather Mahoney Story (Episode 37)
Air date: 1962-06-13
Overview: Chris Hale has dinner with a society matron whose carriage team he had stopped after being spooked. A rival for the woman's attention is Chris' first problem while the crew's attempt to sabotage their relationship is the second one.
