A revisionist Western set after the Civil War in which both cowboys and Indians are struggling with personal conflicts while framed against the approach of the railroad and impending doom.
For five years Dorothy had put up with her husband although all his refinement, delicacy and love had long since been drowned in drink. Dorothy had reached the turning point. She answered an advertisement calling for a leading woman to accompany a repertoire show west. She was given the position and that night left.
Elsie's idea of a real man was a dummy dressed like a cowboy, reckless and wild and woolly. Wallace Carey, a gallant city businessman, rich, attractive, and well dressed, was in love with her, but she wanted a real cowboy for a husband.
'Tuck' Martin, a crooked rancher, plots to acquire possession of the neighboring ranch belonging to 'Pop' Melody, whose daughter, Molly, is in love with 'Big Boy.' Bill Lang, the Melody ranchman, is in league with Martin and succeeds in rendering Melody helpless, although he had originally intended to have him killed. An attack on the cottage discloses the double dealing of the foreman, who is finally brought to justice, with nothing but happiness left for 'Big Boy' and Molly.
Walt Rogers finds a man that has been injured and robbed. The man was returning home after a long absence. When Walt goes to his ranch he is assumed to be the long missing son. Unable to tell the dying mother he assumes the part. But then there is trouble when the robber arrives with the papers to prove he is the son.
New ranch owner Frank Madden, half Indian but posing as white, arrives just as an all white jury finds the three white Shipley brothers who lynched three Indians innocent. There is soon trouble between Frank and the Shipleys who are using Frank's land to graze their cattle. When the brother of one of the Indian victims kills a Shipley, Frank is accused and put in jail. The Shipleys then organize a lynch mob and head for the jail.
A Mexican bandit and his gang are offered a pardon and a cash reward if he will cross the border into America and bring back a gang of murderous gold thieves who robbed the local church and killed the priest and the Head Federales' wife and children.
Ben (Glenn Ford) and Marion (Henry Fonda) are two cowboys who make a meager living breaking wild horses. Their frequent employer Jim (Chill Wills), who always gets the better of them, talks them into taking a nondescript horse in lieu of some of their wages. Ben finds that the horse is un-rideable, he comes up with the idea of taking it to a rodeo and betting other cowhands they cannot ride it.
After bandits steal his poker winnings this American legend makes his way to the next town in search of them. Seeking out his revenge during a poker game gone bad Doc West finds himself in the local town jail. When his past is exposed and a battle amongst the town breaks out in gunfire he will have to choose sides, between the outlaws or the law-abiding citizens.
Henri and Pierre, railroad engineers, are both in love with Jeanne. When Pierre refuses to give her up, a fight breaks out in the engine, imperiling everyone aboard the train.
The third part of the trilogy focuses on June and Romulus, who are having a baby. The misfortune delays the family's plans to move back to Transylvania. Things get even more complicated when Traian, one of the Brad brothers set out in search of water on his land, discovers crude oil.
Roy is a newspaper reporter. He goes to Cheyenne to cover the activities of supposed bad guy Arapahoe Brown. Roy, of course, discovers who the real bad guy is.
Steve, ambitious to outstrip his rivals, Slim and Tex, in a race for Betty's hand, orders a dress-snit by mail. The spike-tail is an awful fit and Steve retires from Betty's inspection anything but pleased. He gives the "fixins" to a Mexican, who in turn suffers from the hands of the populace when he makes his appearance in public, and is finally suspiciously pursued by a posse.