Frank Eaton
A frontier lawman whose relentless quest for justice as a teenager turned him into the living symbol of the Oklahoma cowboy, immortalized as 'Pistol Pete.'
1860–1958 (age 98)·American scout, sheriff, and cowboy·Birthday: October 26·The Gilded Age
Biography
Frank Eaton's life was shaped by a childhood oath. After witnessing his father's murder by former Confederate guerrillas when he was just eight, the boy vowed revenge. He trained relentlessly with a pistol, becoming an expert shot by his teens, and by age 15 he had tracked down and killed several of his father's killers. This fierce reputation forged his destiny on the frontier. He worked as a scout for the U.S. Cavalry, a cowboy driving cattle up the Chisholm Trail, and finally, a sheriff in Oklahoma Indian Territory, where his fearlessness and skill with a gun were essential tools of order. In his later years, Eaton became a beloved storyteller, embodying the fading Old West. His distinctive appearance—a white mustache and goatee—caught the eye of Oklahoma A&M College (now Oklahoma State University), which adopted his likeness as their mascot, 'Pistol Pete.' Thus, the man who lived the hard life of a frontier avenger became a cheerful, enduring symbol of cowboy spirit.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Frank was born in 1860, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Frank Was Born
The biggest hits of 1860
Frank's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1860Born
1865Started school
President: Andrew Johnson
1873Became a teenager
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1876Could drive
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1878Could vote
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1881Turned 21
President: Chester A. Arthur
1890Turned 30
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1900Turned 40
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1910Turned 50
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1920Turned 60
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1930Turned 70
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1940Turned 80
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1958Died at 98
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
Key Achievements
- Served as a deputy U.S. Marshal and sheriff in the notoriously dangerous Oklahoma Indian Territory.
- His likeness was officially adopted as the mascot, 'Pistol Pete,' for Oklahoma State University.
- Authored an autobiography, 'Veteran of the Old West: Pistol Pete,' detailing his life and exploits on the frontier.
- Was recognized as an outstanding marksman, earning a reputation as one of the fastest draws in the territory.
Did You Know?
He claimed to have won a shooting contest against Annie Oakley, though the historical record is unclear.
He earned the nickname 'Pistol Pete' from a commanding Army officer after demonstrating his shooting skills.
He lived to be 97 years old, witnessing the transition from the Wild West to the space age.
He is buried in the Perkins Cemetery in Perkins, Oklahoma, under a headstone that reads 'Pistol Pete.'
“I'd rather have a pocket full of rocks than an empty gun.”
