Bonanza is back in the guize of ""Ponderosa"". This episode is very good, telling the back story of what went on as Ben Cartwright got the deed to the Lake Tahoe property. Unfortunately, someone else also wants the property, so he can strip-mine it and turn the land into a waste-land. Ben's wife and Little Joe's mother is killed when the store in which Ben is working in at the time is blown up by the miner, the one who takes her death the worse is Little Joe. Shortly after this (and because of it) Ben is awarded the property. All seems to be said and done, but as Ben and the boys are building the house, in the middle of the night the miner sneaks onto the property and pours kerosene all over the house and ignites it. Little Joe takes Ben's gun and goes hunting down the miner, not realizing the new trouble he could be causing because of it. Meanwhile, two other characters come into play. The first is Carlos (Fernando Carrillo), a Mexican Soldier who returns to the town after being in the

While selling some cattle to a fellow rancher, Adam and Little Joe witness an amazing sight, a Mexican walks up to the rancher and shoots him at point blank range . . . the rancher gets up and brushes himself off. It seems as if they were testing out a bullet proof vest. Later, in town. We find Hauss staring at a Wanted Poster for a bandit named Joaquin with a very high price on his head. The same bandit who was at the ranch comes behind him, razzes Hauss about if they'll catch the bandit or not and walks away. It is now breakfast-time the next day, Carlos comes riding up with someone strapped to his horse. It was the same man that Joe and Adam saw at the ranch, and Hauss saw in town, after being patched up by Shelby (Nicki Wendt), he identifies himself as Joaquin. He also explains that he is wanted for murder in towns several hundred miles apart . . . and they were committed on the same day. As he recovers, he gives Adam a birthday wish that Ben couldn't, the oppurtunity to handle a g

Going against Ben's explicit wishes, Hauss goes up against a bare-knuckles fighter named Iron Hands Malloy (Joseph Clements). Hauss thinks he's developed a new and surprising punch that will knock the fighter off his feet. He does so -- in a test bout, whic was a means to peak everybody's interest in the fight. As things progress, Adam does some research, only to discover that the fighter went under several other names and was expelled from the official circuit for using several cheating methods, one of which is holding a rock in his hand and pounding on his opponent if his opponent gets too close to winning, and as Hauss begins to win against Iron Hands . . ..

Adam kills a robber, and he promises the dying man that he will take care of his children and widow. Also, a man comes to town claiming that he's the great grandson of George Washington's personal slave.

Carlos is overjoyed and Ben and his sons are amazed when Carlos beautiful and spirited eighteen-year-old sister, Isabella, appears at what until recently had been the Rivera family's ranch. Carlos had presumed she'd died in a fire in Mexico. Isabella is overjoyed at being reunited with the brother she'd feared had died in the Mexican-American war, but she's also heartbroken to learn that her former home has been sold to Margaret Davis as a war reparation. Since she's now homeless, Ben takes Isabella into the already-crowded Ponderosa, but events take a dismaying turn when a sheriff from Texas arrives in town on the trail of a ""killer"" and discovers that Isabella rode in on the murdered victim's horse. The sheriff threatens to arrest Isabella, but Ben takes responsibility for her custody, offering to stand trial for whatever crime, if any, the sheriff decides to try her for if she flees. Fearful for Isabella's life, Isabella and Carlos do flee, but when they learn what Ben has done, the

When the town is quarantined because of an illness for which the townspeople blame the Cartwrights, vigilantes set out to destroy their home.

A man comes to Eagle Station wanting Adam, to write about the 'true story' of the Donner Party. But the meeting causes Ben to reflect on a bad experience from his own past.

A man hunted for being a U.S. deserter who fought for Mexico comes to stay at the Ponderosa, causing a rift between Hoss (Drew Powell) and Tess (Sara Gleeson), whose father died in the war against Mexico.

Romantic woes are caused by a ""Ladies Choice"" dance: Margaret and Shelby learn that they both want to be escorted by Ben, and Tess settles for Hoss when Isabella asks Adam.

Marie's sister comes to the Ponderosa, but she doesn't get along well with the townspeople and she wants to take Little Joe back to New Orleans.

Adam, Hoss and Carlos discover a treasure map clutched in a dead man's hand and set out to claim the gold they think it leads to, unaware they are being followed.

Manuel, a man who once saved Carlos's life, unexpectedly arrives in town. Manuel is disturbed to see Carlos working for the people he believes stole the de Rivera ranch, so he devises a plan to get the land back, starting with Margaret and her spread.

Ben is distrustful of a stranger who comes to Eagle Station, builds a hotel and talks about his vision to expand the young town and put it on the stagecoach route.

Hoss falls for a the daughter of a reverend who claims that he can perform miracles.

Isabella receives a letter from her childhood love whom she thought had died in the war. She's torn between her old love and Adam, who is determined not to lose her.

An epidemic strikes the town's cattle with Margaret suffering the most losses, and everyone wants to destroy the herds and sell the ranches to Jack.

When an abandonded baby is found, Hoss and Tess consider marrying and adopting the child.

Hoss is angered when he learns that Jack is staging wolf fights in town, and he vows to rescue the animals.

Samuel returns after being let go from the city newspaper due to his race. The Cartwrights convience Samuel to open a newspaper in Eagle Station. A new law is inacted which makes runaway slaves even in free states to have a price on their heads which puts Samuel in jeopardy.