Fort Laramie's protectorate duties during the Black Hills gold rush emerged as her most visible success in 1876. Gold had been discovered in the Hills in 1874, and with its graceful three-span iron bridge over the North Platte River, Fort Laramie quickly became the most popular gateway to the new El Dorado. Episode 17 aired on CBS Radio May 20, 1956. By the mid-1950s when Fort Laramie began, most of the actors on the west coast were doing some television and movie work so the program was rehearsed and taped for transcription during the evening. Once a week the cast and crew gathered at CBS Studio One in Hollywood to tape the show. In 1956 this was the last radio production studio in use in California. The series debuted on January 22, 1956 with an episode entitled "Playing Indian."