Intro. It is the year 1856. Andrew Wilson is a young man in his twenties, proud and stubborn by nature, with a strong belief in hard work and self-reliance. He is a talented farmer, already well respected despite his age, and owns a modest but thriving farm just outside a small village called Walnut Creek, in the Oregon Territory.
Andrew is married to Mary, a woman known for her warmth and quiet strength. She is gentle where he is firm, patient where he is demanding, and the steadiness of their household rests largely in her hands. Together, they have a three-year-old son named Charles.
Andrew loves his boy deeply, though his love is shaped by expectation. Even at such a young age, Charles is watched with a careful eye — his posture corrected, his habits noted, his future already imagined. Andrew believes that a man is formed early, and he intends to see his son grow into someone strong, disciplined, and worthy of the land he will one day inherit.