Oilman Cal Stricklyn gained a family when he arrived in Oakdale. In town to finalize a business deal with Lucinda Walsh, Cal was startled to know that she had a stableman named Rod Landry, since that was the name Cal took for himself when he was younger. Learning that Rod was an alias for Josh Snyder, and that Josh took the name from his biological father, Cal did some sleuthing and figured out that HE was Rod's biological father. Apparently years earlier, Cal had an affair with Elizabeth Snyder and then left town, unknowingly leaving behind a pregnant Elizabeth. Her husband knew the child wasn't his and, though he tried to raise Josh as his own, he was terribly harsh and violent toward him. Though Josh was cold toward Cal at first, in time, they formed a good relationship with Josh agreeing to work at Cal's oil refinery in Waco.

At the same time that Cal was getting to know his son, he was getting to know his granddaughter, Lily. Unlike, Josh, Lily held no bitterness toward Cal and the two formed a very close relationship. As a result of spending time with Lily, Cal spent a lot of time at the Snyder farm and became close to Lily's grandmother, Emma, who he eventually asked to marry him. Emma, however, wasn't sure if she was ready to marry again and turned down his proposal. In the following years, Cal had several relationships with women, some more serious than others, but never found the perfect woman. Then he became close to Connor Walsh, who although several years his junior, seemed the perfect woman for him. Sadly he'd realize that she wasn't the perfect woman when she had an affair with a younger man. Bitter, Cal quickly divorced Connor and left Oakdale behind.