As the writer of occasional Rifleman fan-fic, I have often wondered at the timeline for the series. The series never really said when the show
occurred precisely. Based on the fact that Chuck Connors was 37 when the series opened in 1958, and on the fact that Lucas earned his lieutenant's bars on
the battlefield at Five Forks in 1865 (about age 22 for most Lieutenants) I have worked out that Lucas was probably born in 1843, which would have made him 18
when the Civil War started in 1861. This would place the series--starting when Lucas was 37--in the years 1880-1884 to coincide with the series run from
1958-1963. This seems to work pretty well for Mark's age, too, which would have put Mark's birth in 1868 which coincides with Johnny Crawford's
age (11-12 in 1958) with Season 1.
This seems to bear out well historically, too, since 1880 was the peak year of the cattle drives on the Chislhom Trail and also the OK Corral Fight which coincides with the period depicted in Season 1. Historical events in Season 2 (1881) that coincide would include Billy the Kid's escape from custody and the last cattle drive to Dodge City; Jesse James would have been killed in 1882 (Season 3 of the series); Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show started in 1883 (Season 4); and the extinction of the Southern Plains buffalo herd in 1884 (5th Season). This means that Lucas would have most likely been using an 1873 Winchester saddle carbine, since the 1892 version wouldn't be invented for thirteen more years. If I assume the series occured in 1892, it seems way too late for most of the events in the series. Does this check with most of what everyone else knows? Anyone have any thoughts on this?
This seems to bear out well historically, too, since 1880 was the peak year of the cattle drives on the Chislhom Trail and also the OK Corral Fight which coincides with the period depicted in Season 1. Historical events in Season 2 (1881) that coincide would include Billy the Kid's escape from custody and the last cattle drive to Dodge City; Jesse James would have been killed in 1882 (Season 3 of the series); Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show started in 1883 (Season 4); and the extinction of the Southern Plains buffalo herd in 1884 (5th Season). This means that Lucas would have most likely been using an 1873 Winchester saddle carbine, since the 1892 version wouldn't be invented for thirteen more years. If I assume the series occured in 1892, it seems way too late for most of the events in the series. Does this check with most of what everyone else knows? Anyone have any thoughts on this?
