I read where he hated the show. He didn't like having to say the word "pa" so much. He wanted out, so they wrote him out. Didn't they have him moving back East or something? I think his mother was supposed to be from Boston or Maine or somewhere in the northeast. Little Joe's mom was from New Orleans, and I think Hoss's mom was a swedish woman, but I don't remember.The nice thing about that and Gunsmoke is you can watch so many episodes and never repeat!! LOL