Fort Laramie, Vol. 1

Fort Laramie was an adult-oriented Western radio series that aired Sunday afternoons on the CBS radio network in 1956. Produced and directed by Gunsmoke’s Norman Macdonnell, this realistic Western drama depicted life at Fort Laramie, an important stop on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails, as well as a staging point for various military excursions during the nineteenth century. In 1849 the fort was taken over by the United States Army to protect the many wagon trains of migrant travelers on the trail. The fort was located across the North Platte River from the town of Laramie, at the mouth of the Laramie River, in Wyoming Territory.

The radio series starred Raymond Burr as Lee Quince, captain of the cavalry. Regulars included Vic Perrin, Harry Bartell, Jack Moyles, Howard McNear, Sam Edwards, John Dehner, John McIntire, Virginia Gregg, James Nusser, Parley Baer, and Barney Phillips. Most of the scripts were written by John Meston, Kathleen Hite, Les Crutchfield, and John Dunkel. Amerigo Marino supplied the music.

These twelve exciting episodes aired in February and April 1956 and include:

“Squaw Man”
“The Woman at Horse Creek”
“Boredom”
“The Captain’s Widow”
“The Shavetail”
“Hattie Pelfrey”
“The Beasley Girls”
“The Coward”
“The Lost Child”
“Stage Coach Stop”
“The New Recruit”
“Capture”