Cowboy Lin McLean's restlessness takes him to Denver, where he becomes enamored of a waitress named Katie. Intending to marry her, Lin accompanies Katie back to the ranch, but a traveling rainmaker arrives in the little town, and Katie departs with him after revealing that he is her husband. Visiting Denver for Christmas, Lin adopts Katie's abandoned son Billy, and soon afterwards, the cowboy meets and falls in love with the new station agent, Jessamine "Jessie" Buckner. Lin and Jessie marry, and the little family is happy until Katie, determined to be rid of her neglectful husband and marry Lin instead, appears and drives Jessie away. Realizing that Lin does not love her, Katie poisons herself, and Jessie returns to Lin and Billy.

Broadcast on NBC February 18, 1985, the Disneyland 30th Anniversary Celebration was hosted by John Forsythe and Drew Barrymore. The special is a look back into the first thirty years of Disneyland's history. Featuring footage from opening day in 1955, including the famous Walt Disney opening day speech.

John Wayne and an all-star cast tell the story of America.