Who’s Still Alive From the Classic TV Western ‘Wagon Train’?

WAGON TRAIN, clockwise from upper left: Frank McGrath, RobertFuller, Terry Wilson, John McIntire, 1957-1965. — Ivan Nagy/TV Guide/courtesy Everett Collection

Wagon Train brought viewers along on a journey from Missouri to California for eight seasons from 1957 to 1965. Led first by wagon master Major Seth Adams (Ward Bond) and scout Flint McCullough (Robert Horton), the series featured new travelers and stories each week. The cast changed over the years, with John McIntire taking over as wagon master Christopher Hale and Robert Fuller joining as scout Cooper Smith. Since hundreds of actors appeared as guest stars, let’s just take a look at the show’s principal regular cast. Of those actors, only two are still alive today. Let’s find out what they’ve been up to in recent years.

Robert Fuller (92) as Cooper Smith

Leo Fuchs/TV Guide/Everett Collection; Giulio Marcocchi/Getty Images

Already a television Western favorite from his role as Jess Harper on Laramie, Fuller joined Wagon Train as scout Cooper Smith at the beginning of the seventh season. He remained with the show through its final episode in 1965. Fuller later traded his cowboy hat for a stethoscope as Dr. Kelly Brackett on Emergency!. He also guest-starred on popular series such as JAG, Diagnosis Murder, The Fall Guy, Murder, She Wrote, Guns of Paradise and more. His final credited acting appearance came in 2001 in Walker, Texas Ranger. He and his wife, actress Jennifer Savidge, later moved to a ranch in Texas. Fuller has continued to attend nostalgia conventions and appeared at the MidSouth Nostalgia Festival in June 2025. He will celebrate his 93rd birthday on July 29, 2026.

Michael Burns (78) as Barnaby West

Everett Collection

Burns appeared in several earlier episodes of Wagon Train as different characters before being introduced as Barnaby West in the sixth-season finale. Barnaby became a recurring member of the wagon train during the show’s final two seasons. Burns also appeared in The Twilight Zone, Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Barnaby Jones, Lassie, Journey to Shiloh, Love, American Style and many other films and television shows. He eventually left acting and earned a doctorate in modern European history from Yale University. Burns taught history at Mount Holyoke College and became a published author before retiring as a professor emeritus. He also raised thoroughbred horses with his late wife in Kentucky, where he currently resides.

In Memoriam

Everett Collection

Ward Bond, who played Major Seth Adams, died of a heart attack on November 5, 1960, at age 57, during the show’s fourth-season production.

Frank McGrath, who played Charlie Wooster, died of a heart attack on May 13, 1967, at age 64.

John McIntire, who played Christopher Hale, died from emphysema and lung cancer on January 30, 1991, at age 83.

Terry Wilson, who played Bill Hawks, died of congestive heart failure on March 30, 1999, at age 75.

Denny Miller, sometimes billed as Scott Miller, played Duke Shannon and died from ALS on September 9, 2014, at age 80.

Robert Horton, who played Flint McCullough, died on March 9, 2016, at age 91; no cause of death was publicly reported.

Where to Watch Wagon Train

You can catch this classic Western streaming for free on Tubi with ads, streaming with a subscription on Starz and Philo, as well as on INSP and MeTV.