Lately, bad things have been happening to people whenever Uncle Joe is around. He is now getting the reputation of being a jinx. Joe is initially upset by all the talk of him being a jinx. But then he decides to offer his services as a jinx for a fee. Sam hires Joe to jinx Crabwell Corners so they don't get the new box factory, and it instead comes to Hooterville. As hard as Joe tries, that factory still winds up going to Crabwell Corners. Kate says that proves that Joe is not a jinx. But, could there be another jinx at the Shady Rest?

Hinky Mittenfloss, the new dog catcher, is constantly trying to catch Dog. Hinky now believes that Dog killed three of Luther Craig's chickens. He takes Dog to the County Dog Pound where he will eventually be put down. Kate, Betty Jo and Uncle Joe consult with lawyer Melvin Randall. Melvin thinks that Kate is more than capable of handling the case before a judge. Though hesitant at first, Judge Murdock allows the case to proceed. With the help of a cat, Arnold the pig and Dog, Kate almost wins the case. But Dog grabbing Joe's chicken sandwich seals his fate. That is until Betty Jo wakes up from her dream.

Sam has added an advice column called Dear Minerva to the newspaper, and Sam is Minerva. Kate thinks that the column should be written by a woman. Sam convinces Kate to be Minerva as long as no one knows it's her. Kate has a hard time writing the column in the hotel without anyone finding out. The column becomes a big hit, but writing it and taking care of things at the hotel takes its toll on Kate. Sam gets a call from a large newspaper that wants to syndicate the Dear Minerva column. He writes a note about it to Kate. The girls intercept the note and, misunderstanding what Sam wrote, they believe Sam and Kate are in love. They write to Minerva and ask her advice. "Minerva" eases the girls concerns and announces that this is her last column.

Betty Jo and Bobbie Jo and a group of friends are trying to plan a fund-raising stage production to buy some playground equipment for the kids. Because of casting problems, Betty Jo comes up with an idea: rewrite the play for an all canine cast with Dog in the lead. Lawyer Arthur Bronson arrives at the hotel. He informs them that a former guest of the hotel, Mr. Kroger, who has just passed away, has left $200 to Dog. Dog is generous to his friends, and wants to buy them things. But Dog is letting the money and fame go to his head. Dog learns the hard way that fame and wealth can be fleeting, and that keeping to commitments is more important.

Because Uncle Joe is supposed to paint the Hotel, he gets the idea that he can go into business as a general contractor. He finds out that the wealthy Douglases are looking for a contractor to help fix up the "Green Acres" farmhouse. He does get Mrs. Douglas to hire him. Although Joe knows nothing about construction work, he tries to juggle the hotel and the Douglas jobs. Joe also finds that he may be scheming rich, but cash poor. He needs to find some additional capital to get both jobs going. Uncle Joe's scheming affects Kate in unexpected ways, so she comes up with a plan to set Uncle Joe straight.

Bobbie Jo has been nominated for membership into Hooterville High's only sorority. She is worried as she knows many girls who were nominated but didn't pass the initiation. The head of the sorority, Henrietta Watson doesn't want Bobbie Jo in the sorority. She devises what she believes is an impossible initiation task for Bobbie Jo. Bobbie Jo must get a date with the school's star athlete, Stonewall Jackson, who seems only interested in sports and not girls. Bobbie Jo enlists Betty Jo to teach her some things about sports. Thanks to Betty Jo, Bobbie Jo gets the date and her membership. Bobbie Jo also has a way to get back at Henrietta for the difficult initiation task.

Mrs. Douglas asks an excited Betty Jo to accompany her on a week long trip to New York City as her guest. After an initial hesitation, Kate allows Betty Jo to go. When Betty Jo returns to Hooterville she's a changed person, putting on airs and believing country life is beneath her. Kate initially believes Mrs. Douglas is to blame for Betty Jo's new snooty attitude, but quickly realizes that she isn't. Kate does get some help from Mrs. Douglas for an upcoming visit by Gregory Tremayne, a young gentleman Betty Jo met in New York. Gregory's visit ultimately shows Betty Jo where her heart lies.

Homer Bedloe, arch-enemy of the Hooterville Cannonball, returns in abject disgrace and poverty to Hooterville Valley. He has been replaced by Wilbur Goodfellow, who supposedly is the exact opposite of Bedloe in every way. Bedloe is looking for somewhere to stay, at least for a little while. Goodfellow arrives to inspect the spur line and the Cannonball. After his inspection, Goodfellow plans to make major investments into the line. He plans to send the Cannonball in for a refit and to loan a new locomotive as a temporary replacement. Everyone is excited by all this news. After Kate goes to the cinema in Pixley, she discovers the whole thing is a scam and that Bedloe and Goodfellow are working together.

Joe insults Sam about the way he runs the post office, so Sam lets Joe take over. Joe decides to set up the post office at the hotel's reception desk. Kate tries to persuade Joe to give the post office back to Sam and for Sam to take it back. Joe tries to gather the equipment he needs to run the post office, even if it means confiscating what he needs in the name of the federal government. Customers treat the new post office like it was still in Drucker's Store, wanting to buy groceries. Things start falling apart around Joe and after the Government steps in, the post office is moved back to Sam's store.

Bobbie Jo and Betty Jo are entering contests where they are required to send in food can and box top labels. This leaves much of Kate's pantry left with unlabeled cans and boxes. Bobbie Jo manages to win the contest sponsored by Gibney's Old English Tomato Sauce, with first prize being a traditional English butler for one month. Unannounced, their new butler, Faversham, arrives on their doorstep. Kate tries, but she just can't get used to giving up control of the chores around the hotel. Uncle Joe turns the hotel into a bit of old London and puts an add in the paper. He also wants to organize a fox hunt, but things don't turn out as planned.

Gladys Knockleheimer and Bernie McKenzie are holding their wedding reception at the hotel. They are the fifth set of friends of Billie Jo's that have gotten married. Both Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo are excited by the idea of getting married, but Betty Jo is not interested. When Betty Jo catches Gladys' bouquet, she is terrified that she will be next to get married. Kate decides it's time to have a talk with her about the issue. Betty Jo misinterprets her mother's advice and starts going around and asking boys to marry her. Betty Jo then receives gifts from a secret admirer. Kate discovers it was Betty Jo sending gifts to herself because she didn't want to appear to have no one interested in her.

Billie Jo wants to move out of the hotel and into her own apartment in Pixley. Kate repeatedly says no. Kate finally gives in, but she has to approve of the place and the landlord. She only agreed because she believes there is not an apartment to be found in Pixley. However, Billie Jo finds a place that meets Kate's standards. After a few days, Billie Jo says she loves her independence, even though all the comforts of home are not quite there. But not long after she becomes homesick and finds a way to come back.

It's the start of the new semester at Hooterville High and there are seven new girls and one new boy enrolled. Bobbie Jo takes pity on the new boy, Walter Thorp, as he is the only boy in her home economics class. Bobbie Jo is attracted to the athletic Walter, and wants to make him feel welcome. She and Betty Jo try and get someone to switch classes with Walter, but they have no luck. There is an upcoming home ec class exam, which is to prepare a full dinner for one's imaginary spouse's imaginary boss in twenty minutes. Kate comes up with a way to help Walter get a passing grade.

An accident at the county courthouse has blown off the roof of the building. Uncle Joe gets the jury of the current case sequestered at the Shady Rest. But things don't run as smoothly as Joe figured. They have to figure out sleeping assignments for the shortage of rooms. It also seems as though the gluttonous jurors refuse to reach a verdict because they like Kate Bradley's food so much. Then a baby in the hotel complicates things further. Some of the jurors animals invade the hotel. With the Judges help, Kate finds a way to have the jurors leave.

Kate receives a letter from a Mr. Donald Dobble requesting a reservation for two rooms for him and a friend. Mr. Dobble's friend, David Benton, arrives and acts as though Dobble were with him. But Kate sees no one but Mr. Benton. Mr. Benton seems crazy as he sees and talks to an invisible man. Kate believes that Mr. Benton is probably overworked. When no one else seems concerned that they haven't seen Dobble, Kate starts to feel that she is the one going crazy. Kate continually tries to sneak a peak at or speak directly to Mr. Dobble to no avail. The girls start to worry about Kate, especially when they see her talking to no one. Kate asks Benton and Dobble to leave and to not worry about paying their bill. A Mr. Robinson comes by looking for Benton. It seems Benton defrauds hotels into getting free room and board with his invisible man scheme.

The Shady Rest is full with guests, while the Pixley Hotel is just about empty. The Pixley Hotel's unscrupulous owner, Murdock Sneep, suggests to Kate that they merge their businesses. Kate declines as she knows how empty the Pixley Hotel is. An angry Sneep threatens to ruin Kate. He starts with an aggressive advertising campaign. Sneep and Kate then both try to one up the other. But soon both realize this no-holds-barred "hotel war" is costing each of them money and someone else is capitalizing on their feud.

The hotel is empty and bills piling up. In order to get some money, Kate suggests Uncle Joe find a paying job. Joe appears to be looking for a job, but he does his best not to get one. Joe takes a break in an empty lot in Pixley with Dog. While there, Dog digs up a tin can full of money. Uncle Joe doesn't tell Kate about the money, but Dog makes him feel guilty. Joe secretly pays off all of Kate's bills. Even though she doesn't know who to thank, Kate is surprised and happy. Uncle Joe learns that the money was probably stolen from the Crabwell Corners Bank. Joe takes what moneys left and returns it to the can. He then finds out that the stolen money was found somewhere else. But before he can get the money back, he hears that someone else's dog dug it up

The cheap refrigerator that Uncle Joe bought isn't working, so Kate sends him into Pixley to get some ice for the icebox. Floyd and Charley are having a fight over who is the boss of the Cannonball and then they have a fight over a missing apple. Because of this, Joe can't get to Pixley and Kate's food will spoil. Kate gets the two to patch things up, but then Joe says something and they start fighting again. Kate has Betty Jo bring in the analytical mind of Mr. Douglas to assist in convincing the two to make up, but that doesn't work. Joe uses the hand car to get some ice, while the Cannonball strike continues. Floyd and Charley make up, but once again Joe does something to break them up again. Kate finally comes up with a way to get the two to be friends again.

Kate is cleaning out the storage closet. She wants the family members to go through their belongings to see what can be thrown away. Uncle Joe thinks they should start an antiques business with the junk. Everyone is around to help except Betty Jo, who should have been on the afternoon Cannonball run from school. Floyd and Charlie tell Kate that they saw Betty Jo that morning. She was all made up and had a suitcase. It looked like she was about to run away to elope. Kate and the girls look for clues in Betty Jo's room. They find a notebook that leads them to believe that Betty Jo might be thinking of eloping with the new boy in town, Peter Latimer. Betty Jo is actually just coaching baseball to Peter were no one can see them. Kate visits Mrs. Latimer to tell her that their children have eloped. When Betty Jo and Peter come home, everyone finds out that they were worrying over nothing.

It seems that every night everyone has something to do except for Kate. Uncle Joe tells Kate that she needs to get out herself. The girls decide to try and find Kate an eligible bachelor. They first tell Kate that they're grown up now, she doesn't need to take care of them and she should go on a date. That direct approach doesn't work. Their next attempt fails as well. They then ask Mrs. Douglas for her advice. Mrs. Douglas suggests holding a lonely hearts club gathering at the hotel. Three desperate men show up at the hotel hoping to meet some women. Once she knows what is going on, Kate finds a way to get each of the men to leave

Uncle Joe is excited about a new capital works project for the valley. The plan is to dam up Bleeker Creek which will create a new lake in the area. Kate points out to Uncle Joe that the location of the new lake does not mean that the hotel will be lake front property, but rather be under water in the middle of the lake. When she sees how this project will devastate her and the Cannonball, she knows Homer Bedloe is behind it. Kate needs to collect two hundred signatures for a restraining order petition. When Kate comes up two signatures short, Mr. Fletcher the Commissioner of Conservation, says nothing will stop them from putting in the lake. Uncle Joe's dog winds up saving the Shady Rest.

Steve spends time individually with Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo and Betty Jo doing their favorite activities. Because of this, each girl believes that Steve has chosen her to be his girl. Meanwhile, Uncle Joe tries to talk Steve into starting Carson-Elliot Air Express. Steve has no intention on marrying anyone at this point in his life. Kate and Steve devise a plan to scare off each of the girls. But their plan almost backfires when it come to Billie Jo.

Kate Bradley tangles with Selma Plout when Selma tries to lure pilot Steve Elliott into marriage with her daughter, Henrietta. Selma tries to throw both money into Steve's crop dusting business and gourmet meals to entice Steve. Selma ramps up her fight one notch by moving herself and Henrietta into the hotel to be closer to Steve. Kate, knowing Billie Jo and Steve are officially dating, comes up with a plan. She enlists the help of Floyd and Charley to get Selma uninterested in Steve.

Kate sees Steve as a possible future son-in-law. She believes his life as a pilot is too dangerous and she would like to see him get a different job. When she learns that Steve has a journalism background, she convinces Sam to turn over the running of the Hooterville World Guardian to Steve. With no crop dusting work to be had in the valley, Steve accepts the offer. This move doesn't sit well with Uncle Joe, president of the Carson-Elliott crop dusting empire. Joe goes on a quest for crop dusting business from their valley neighbors. With no bugs infesting the crops, Joe manufactures some business with the help of some plastic bugs. Kate finds out and reprimands Joe, but things work out for Steve in the end.

The local Discussion Club is sending their secretary to the weekend long national conventional, all expenses paid. That means Billie Jo, but she doesn't really want to leave Steve for an entire weekend. However, Selma doesn't ever remember voting for someone to fill the position permanently. She wants to hold a special vote to elect a permanent recording secretary. Selma is pushing for Henrietta to go instead of Billie Jo. The outcome of the resulting vote, with only Billie Jo and Henrietta on the ballot, is a tie. Both Selma and Kate think they have the answer to breaking the tie with their respective daughter coming out on top. Both daughters may have other things on their mind.

The National Amateur Hour is screening for new talent, and are holding auditions through the valley's own radio Station K. The winning performer is to receive $200. Once Uncle Joe hears about the prize money, he thinks that Steve and Billie Jo should enter. Sydney Sparks, a talent agent who heard Steve and Billie Jo, wants to represent them if they win the contest. His plans are for them to go on the road as a nightclub act. The family has mixed emotions. They are happy for the potential new career, but sad to see Steve and Billie Jo possibly leave for good. Billie Jo wants to do it and sees no down side. Steve doesn't as he doesn't want to be continually on the road living out of a suitcase. Uncle Joe thinks he may have a way so that Steve and Billie Jo don't have to make the decision themselves.

Pixley's Sheriff Crandall is going on a fishing vacation. Uncle Joe makes an arrangement with Sam, the valley's justice of the peace, to house kleptomaniac shoplifter Eustace Pockle at the hotel. Kate doesn't like the idea, but allows Eustace to stay. Unfortunately for Kate and the hotel guests, Uncle Joe treats the hotel more like a jail than a hotel. Kate and the girls treat Eustace more like a hotel guest than a prisoner. Eustace, on the other hand, treats the hotel like any other place: somewhere to snatch trinkets. Just as Sheriff Crandall announces his early return to pick-up Eustace, Eustace escapes from the Shady Rest. They hope to be able to find him before Sheriff Crandall makes it back.

Billie Jo is excited by the news that Sydney Sparks, the talent agent that approached her and Steve following their radio talent show win, got her an audition at the Flamingo Room in Springdale. Kate isn't too sure that she wants Billie Jo to pursue this career. Following the audition, Billie Jo is certain she got the job. Kate receives the news that Billie Jo didn't get the job because she didn't have a big enough name to draw in customers. With help from Uncle Joe and Sam, Kate thinks she knows a way for Mr. Austin, the Flamingo Room's manager, to change his mind. Billie Jo, based on a comment by Uncle Joe, may kill her own chances of show business success by her warped sense of what it means to be a star.

Steve receives a telegram from his old flying buddy, Max Donohue. Max wants Steve as a business partner up in Cascade Valley. Steve decides to not accept Max's offer. Kate suggests to Steve that Max join him in Hooterville, which Steve knows wouldn't work but doesn't say why. Without Steve's knowledge, Uncle Joe sends a reply telegram to Max, asking him to relocate to Hooterville to join the Carson-Elliott Enterprises. Max decides at least to investigate, which doesn't sit well with Max's business and personal partner Jack. Max arrives and turns out to be a woman. Max will need to get an agricultural flying license from the state capitol, which Billie Jo and the rest of the family misinterpret to mean a wedding license. There will be a wedding, but it will be Max and Jack.