Based on true stories that were passed along to the next generation around the kitchen table, the area around the confluence of the Yellowstone and the Missouri Rivers becomes the stage for the for the adventures of Jed Coltrane, the offspring of the conglomeration of the first settlers of that area-Indians, trappers and Galvanized Yankees. The story is a vehicle to convey a sense of history in that area of the United States seldom heard about, Northwest North Dakota and Northeastern Montana. The story ties the stories of the area together from the time of Lewis and Clark to 1958 and explores the migrations and blending of the various peoples that came to make their living and the evolution of the economy. The story is replete with famous people, outlaws, Indians, cowboys and immigrants from Europe and covers the fights between and among them, the building of railroads and towns and the ever encroachment of civilization. Jedadiah and his family are fictitious, but they are the thread that sews together the stories of real people and real happenings into one story.