Cattleman Gene Autry (Gene Autry) is elected mayor of Quartz City, a roaring California gold camp in 1859, and he and his pal, Marshal Breezie Larrabee (Pat Buttram), set out to tame and clean up the town. They start by ousting crooked Tod Rawlings (Harry Lauter) and his gambling hall hostess Bee Laverne (Christine Larsen). Gene beats back an attempt by Rawlings to kidnap an incoming caravan of women whose presence in the town will hasten the progress of law and order. One of the arrives, Laurie (Gail Davis), is attracted to Steve Kincaid (Russell Hayden), a con-man working for Rawlings, but she turns against him when she learns of the association. The Rawlings gang makes a last-ditch effort to take over the town.