During his life Frank “Pistol Pete” Eaton was a lawman, an Indian scout, and a settler. He worked on ranches and herded cattle over the Chisholm and Santa Fe Trails. He was later a deputy United States Marshall. Eaton earned the nickname “Pistol Pete” at the age of 15 when he went to Fort Gibson to perfect his shooting skills. He learned how to track, and to survive Indian Territory when he was adopted by a half Delaware Indian at the age of 18. After settling in Perkins, Oklahoma, where he died on April 8, 1958, at the age of 97. He became the inspiration for Oklahoma State University’s mascot.
Hall of Great Westerners
Inducted in 2022
Frank Boardman"Pistol Pete" Eaton
1860 – 1958
Oklahoma
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