In 1842, widower Evan Thorpe decides to leave behind his Illinois farm and head west with his three children, Andy (age 17), William (age 12), and Rachel (age 10) and travel to the Oregon Territory to search for a new life in the wilderness. By joining a wagon train, they encounter a variety of bad enemies standing in their way, from bad weather, rough terrain, unfriendly Indians, and devious con men.