“At twelve o'clock on Monday, April 22d, the resident population of Guthrie was nothing; before sundown it was at least ten thousand. In that time streets had been laid out, town lots staked off, and steps taken toward the formation of a municipal government.” March 1889 Franklin Sinclair, wealthy Chicago mine investor, has had enough. It’s time for his vain and spoiled daughter, Priscilla, to grow up. After refusing every suitable man who might have her as a bride, he declares that if she wants to see a penny of her inheritance, she must go to Oklahoma to stake a claim on his behalf in the upcoming land run. Otherwise, he’ll marry her off to the first old man who expresses an interest in her before he retires to San Francisco. Priscilla, horrified but determined to get what she wants, agrees to the deal. However, what happens when she discovers that poor and pesky – yet annoyingly handsome – Ladd Mabry, also plans to head out west to participate in the land run? Ladd Mabry works in a dirty Chicago factory after his father was killed in an explosion while mining for silver in California. He blames the mine’s owner, Franklin Sinclair, for not ensuring safe working conditions at the mine. Since he can’t get close enough to the man to demand restitution – or at least an apology - he’ll settle for his pampered (albeit gorgeous) daughter, Priscilla. Irritated after she blows him off, Ladd decides to leave Chicago altogether and start over out west. But who should he then discover on the very same train bound for Oklahoma?