Bonanza chronicles the weekly adventures of the Cartwright family, headed by the thrice-widowed patriarch Ben Cartwright. He had three sons, each by a different wife: the eldest was the urbane architect Adam Cartwright who built the ranch house; the second was the warm and lovable giant Eric "Hoss" Cartwright; and the youngest was the hotheaded and impetuous Joseph or "Little Joe". The family's cook was the Chinese immigrant Hop Sing.