The Conquerors

Roger Standish begins as a diligent, hopeful bank clerk who is fired after courting Caroline Ogden. He becomes a central driver of the Standish family fortune as economic upheavals test the bank and the town. His life embodies the era's boom-and-bust cycle and the personal costs of ambition.

Caroline is a determined heiress who accepts marriage to Roger and seeks opportunity in the West. She helps found Standish Bank and becomes the keystone of the community through personal tragedy. Her resilience shapes the town's fate across generations.

The town's capable doctor, he despite being a drinker, proves competent in saving lives and supporting the community. He and Matilda Blake form a domestic anchor for the Standish circle, helping them weather hardship. His practical approach embodies frontier pragmatism.

Matilda runs the hotel and welcomes Caroline, becoming the warm, stabilizing presence of the Blake household. She provides hospitality and a sense of belonging through the town's ups and downs. Her support helps the Standish family integrate into Fort Allen's community.

Frances's husband and a figure in Standish’s financial world, his poor judgment accelerates the bank's crisis. He commits suicide as the bank fails, underscoring the era's volatile link between personal choices and economic fate.

Frances grows into a central matriarch in the Standish legacy, marrying Warren Lennox and guiding the family through wealth and loss. Her life intertwines romance with the fortunes of Standish Bank, shaping the community across generations.

The grandson grows up amid the era's technological marvels and eventually serves as a Lafayette Escadrille fighter pilot in World War I, earning decorations for his service. His career embodies a new generation embracing modern warfare and progress. His life links the family saga to national history.