John-Boy's Dean asks him to take care of a 16 year old genius college student for the weekend. It seems that Lyle is wonderful with science and math, but woefully lacking when it comes to dealing with people.

Young prize fighter James Travis Clark from Richmond arrives on Walton's Mountain looking for work. He lives in the Walton's barn while training for his next fight. Grandma and Olivia are upset with the whole idea until they find out that James is a minister.

Father and son struggle with personal crisis: John approaches his 25-year high school reunion regretting he is not a greater success; and John-Boy fears he will never be able to make a living as a writer.

Porter Sims, a reporter from New York, comes to get material for a guide book on Virginia. John-Boy takes him to see the Baldwin sisters who allow him to look through the late Judge Baldwin's private papers. These reveal that their father was accused of treason for harboring Yankee soldiers during the Civil War. Deeply shocked and hurt, they decide not to leave their house ever again.

Jason is attending Klineberg Conservatory while playing with the Haystack Gang & the Sunrise Gospeleers. He is not doing too well and decides to slow down. John-Boy takes a new job in Boatwright's library.

John-Boy is doing a story on a female wing-walker who is performing at the local fair. He invites her to stay at the Walton home. Jim Bob is soon madley in love with the flyer. Maude Gormley gives Mytrle the goat to the Waltons.

A handsome forestry student name Chad Marshall arrives on Walton's Mountain. Both Erin and Mary Ellen are smitten and a competition delelops between them. Each is sure that she is the chosen one. Mary Ellen realizes that it is Erin thats truly in love.

John-Boy's old girlfriend Marica Woolery returns to Walton's Mountain with her fiance to sell some inherited property. She plans to invest the money in her fiance's proposed business. John-Boy exposes the fiance as a braggart and not in love with Marcia. Olivia subs. A student obtain a pair of much needed eye glasses.

Olivia Hill, Olivia's young cousin, returns to Walton's Mountain to grieve the sudden death of her husband. The family attempts to cheer her up. It does not work until Elizabeth's cat, Calico, gives birth to kittens.

John-Boy renews his friendship with A.J. Covington who is working with a movie company. The Walton family intently follows the abdication of King Edward while following the activities of a movie company fliming on Walton's Mountain.

Vera Walton has left her husband Wade and moves into the Walton home. Wade has been abusive and is running moonshine. John gives Wade a job at the mill to help the young couple get on their feet and get back together.

As Mary Ellen nervously awaites word on her acceptance to nursing school, the rest of the Waltons prepares surprise good-bye gifts. Mary Ellen is accepted, but she needs more work in math and science and ends up studying with John-Boy and Miss Nora Taylor, the county nurse.

Ben gets angry and leaves home at the same time Grandpa and John enter a competition with another lumber mill for the big contract. Without knowing, Ben goes to work for the other firm. Grandpa devises a clever scheme to get their lumber to market first.

Olivia and the two youngest children, Jim-Bob and Elizabeth, go up on Walton's Mountain and become lost. They experience many challenges. Jim-Bob saves the day using woodsman skills taught to him by Grandpa.

Jim-Bob thinks he was adopted. He searchs his birth records and finds out he's a twin. Jim-Bob's twin brother died at birth.

Grandpa enjoys telling tales of his days with Teddy Roosevelt in the Spanish Amercian War, but he balks about attending a reunion of the Rough Riders. Ben decides to go into to business trapping and selling animal skins.

The Walton's house is nearly destroyed by fire and the children must live temporarily with friends. John-Boy has a difficult time to begin the task of rewriting his lost novel.

John-Boy meets up with a runaway girl named Muffin who's 12 years old. Muffin tells him that she was abused and is trying to find her mother. John-Boy takes her home and she fools everyone but Grandpa.

Olivia gets a job as a dress maker.She does very well & soon she gets full time work.She is pleased with the attention but realizes she wants too be home more than at work .Maude Gormley is put in an old folks home and loses her zest for life

A quilting is to announce that a woman is of marrying age. Grandma is determined to have one for her granddaughter Mary Ellen who is just as determined not to participate in what she considers an insulting custom.

Esther wants to save an old house from being torn down. Grandpa wants the contract to destroy it for the old wood. They both argue until Zeb realizes that house holds sentimental memories for grandma.

John-Boy sure trys to raise the down payment for an old printing press to publish his own newspaper

Selena Linville comes back to Walton's Mountain & lights a fire under John-Boy to go to Spain & write all about Rebel cause