John decides to expand his business by building a new mill. To meet a deadline for a big order, John works day and night & gets pneumonia. While he's in the hostipal his friends finish the mill, but he loses the big contract.

John-Boy sells his Meadow to a mining company to meet payments on his printing press. Ike and Corabeth follow suit. What everybody doesn't know is that the company plans to strip mine which will ruin the land.

Jim-Bob and Jody get discharged from the service. They celebrate and they decide to open up a garage. The Baldwin sisters get forced to close their recipe machine until they discover their Grandfather's still in a secret room.

The Waltons help a woman who's husband beats her when he is drunk. Jim-Bob decides he will make a fortune by investing in war surplus.