A young man named William Canfield Jr. visits River Junction to meet his estranged father, who has a struggling business being threatened by a wealthy rival. As William Jr. gets to know his father, he also meets Kitty, the rival's daughter, and they develop a romantic connection that puts their fathers at odds. A dramatic storm hits the town, forcing William Jr. to make a heroic rescue effort to save his father, Kitty, and her father.

Steamboat Bill, Jr.
The refined son of a gruff riverboat captain embarks on a journey to learn the ways of the river by joining his father's ship.