By Andrew Darrell
Fall 2023
Frank Eaton, a name that all Oklahoma State University students recognize, holds special influence and weight in the old Wild West. A name that truly bears the title of what a cowboy was back in the late 1800s. His name yields the definition of what remarkable marksmanship and life-long dedication to justice are. Eaton’s story is permeated with tragedy and struggles but more filled with triumph and correction brought to those who were called outlaws.
The Wild West has persistently been a hot and intriguing topic that is fantasized by many. Many movies try to picture what the Wild West was really like, but nothing will quite do it justice. This era was characterized by chaos, lawlessness, and disorder and was a time of struggle for many. Living conditions were nothing short of harsh conditions and hard work to earn a living or less than a living. It was the time of boomtowns. Boomtowns were towns that were rich in minerals, gems, gold, diamonds, and other costly items. These towns were built just for miners and their families. Native Americans were still very prevalent in the Wild West era. Cowboys and other nomadic people would stumble upon Native Americans. Their lifestyles included hunting and gathering because they relied on natural resources as food and lifelines. Women had it what some would say is much easier. The women cared for the children and completed the everyday chores and tasks. However, sometimes the women would have to work to pick up some slack if the husband wasn’t cutting it. In this era, most areas were very desolate and remote. Families who lived in remote areas had it much harder as opposed to families living in cities. The families in these remote areas had little to no access to education and health care.
Frank Eaton, the man who made pistol Pete famous, was born on October 26, 1860, in Hartford, Connecticut where he was raised by his two parents. He was raised right until the ripe age of 8 years old when disaster struck that would drastically change the course of his life. Eatons’ father who, at the time was a soldier in the Union Army, was fatally murdered by a group of outlaws. Frank Eaton soon received this devastating news and took it upon himself to dedicate his life to avenging his father’s death and bringing justice to these men. This event ignited a fire in his heart. After the war, Eaton and his family moved to Kansas which at the time was just as distraught as the area they were fleeing from. There in Kansas, Eaton learned how to handle guns and began his quest for the best marksmanship in all of the Wild West. He mastered his weapon of choice, the infamous six-shooter, a pistol that had a metal roll with six bullet chambers. His skill level enveloped a fear in every man’s eyes. His skill was unnatural and unmatched. Men in this era all sought out some level of justice. However, his level of unparalleled marksmanship was so incredible that the nickname “Pistol Pete” began to spread and it stuck with him wherever he went. Pistol Pete also sought to turn the lawlessness of the Wild West into one of law and order. He was considered a bounty hunter of his own volition tracking down and killing outlaws and robbers who brought chaos to towns all over the state of Kansas and Oklahoma far and near. Embodying the position of a deputy/sheriff as a wild but justified gunslinger he wanted to become an official justice bringer. As the era slowly but surely went from lawless and unorderly to one defined as well-kept and orderly, he sought the position of an actual deputy. He soon obtained the title Deputy “Pistol Pete” Eaton over all of the Oklahoma region. Oklahoma was known for its rowdy and wild nature. Some would say he single-handedly tamed Oklahoma because of how capable he was of bringing order by striking fear in another’s eyes with just him and his trusty six-shooter.
After serving many years as a deputy in the great state of Oklahoma, Pistol Pete had become very well known by even students of the surrounding schools of Oklahoma. One of the bigger schools was Oklahoma A&M. The students of Oklahoma A&M then invited Pistol Pete to visit the campus of their college in 1923. On Pistol Petes’ visit, he demonstrated his country-renowned sharp-shooting abilities, some of the bullet markings are still able to be viewed on campus today. It entertained the very curious students of Oklahoma A&M. He then proceeded to tell them about his righteous and interesting life story and didn’t shy off of any detail. These students who at the time were soldiers ready for battle upon being drafted, were inspired by his story that encouraged an honest life. Not long after his visit to the college he was invited back by the students, not the staff, the students. This return to Oklahoma A&M was an invitation to be the school’s next mascot inspiration. The students’ reason behind their invitation to have Pistol Pete as their mascot was due to his life led by integrity and righteousness. They felt the need to honor him in such a way. They quickly had their new mascot named and embodied after him in every way possible. The physical mascot was composed of a cowboy that had a thick and long mustache just like Eaton had all his life. The cowboy wielded two six-shooters on either side of his hips. Pistol Pete is a staple of Oklahoma A&M, now known as Oklahoma State University.
Pistol Pete’s firm ties with the old American West to this day embody a life we can all strive to live whether that be bringing justice to someone or something. It may not mean wielding a six-shooter going around shooting down outlaws like Eaton formerly loved to do, but we can all take something out of his life. Pistol Pete is and always will be, in my opinion, the number one artifact Oklahoma State University possesses as it truly makes the college what people know it to be. One might go so far as to say Oklahoma State University would have to be shut down without Pistol Pete being the mascot of such a great school.
Works Cited
“Frank Eaton (‘Pistol Pete’).” Oklahoma Senate, oksenate.gov/education/senate-artwork/frank-eaton-pistol-pete. Accessed 11 Oct. 2023.
archiveoklahoma.com 