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Frank Eaton
"Pistol Pete"

[Frank Eaton] Papers, 1889-1980

Collection No. 1995-010

This collection contains mostly photocopies (some originals) of correspondence, homestead papers, newspaper clippings, and a reminiscence concerning the Battle of Round Mountain. Related collections and materials about Eaton and "Pistol Pete" are also listed in the finding aid.

Frank Boardman Eaton was born October 26, 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut, and at eight years old he moved with his family to Twin Mounds, Kansas to homestead. Shortly after their relocation, Eaton witnessed his father's murder. He practiced his shooting, and as a teenager of fifteen he engaged in gunfights to avenge his father's murder. Eaton served as a deputy U.S. Marshall in Indian Territory under the "hanging judge," Judge Isaac C. Parker. At 29 he joined the land rush to Oklahoma Territory. Eaton served as the model for OSU's mascot "Pistol Pete". He settled near Perkins, Oklahoma where he served as sheriff and later became a blacksmith. He lived there until his death on April 8, 1958.

Eaton was known as "Pistol Pete," a nickname he acquired at the age of fifteen when he outshot United States cavalry men in a contest at Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. After seeing Eaton ride a horse in the 1923 Armistice Day parade in Stillwater, a group of Oklahoma A & M College students decided that Eaton as "Pistol Pete" would be a more suitable mascot than their current Tiger. They felt that "Pistol Pete" represented the old west and the spirit of Oklahoma. However, it was not until 1958 that "Pistol Pete" was adopted as the school's mascot. The familiar caricature of "Pistol Pete" was officially sanctioned in 1984 by Oklahoma State University as a licensed symbol.

The University of Wyoming and New Mexico State University also claim "Pistol Pete" as a mascot. In 1993 the University of Wyoming and Oklahoma State University signed a concurrent use agreement regarding the use of "Pistol Pete" as a mascot.

Access to this collection is unrestricted.

2 document boxes (0.82 linear feet)

See also: OSU Vertical File, Photographs, monographs, sound recordings and OSU homepages.

Processed by: Susan Walker, 1991, 1995; Millie Jackson, 1996, and updated by Kari Mays 2004.
Gift of B.B. Chapman, 1977 and Karen Fitch, 1991
Includes accession #1991-028.

Contact:
Special Collections and University Archives
Edmon Low Library
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, Okla. 74078-1071
Phone: 405-744-6311
Email: libscua@okstate.edu

BOX 1

Folder

  1. Eaton Statement on Round Mountain
  2. Eaton to Hank Jocoby, 3/6/57 (photocopy); Jacoby to Lance 7/19/86 (photocopy)
  3. Eaton Interview by Effie S. Jackson, Tulsa, OK 10/26/1937
  4. Eaton statement to John H. Melton (copy) 5/22/1955, accompanying correspondence from Angie Debo (copy) & B.B. Chapman (original), 1955, 1989
  5. ALS (original) Eaton to A&M College Magazine 2/27/1956
  6. Correspondence between Eaton & B.B. Chapman and between Chapman and Heather Lloyd (photocopies), one envelope (original) from Eaton 2/24/56,
  7. ALS to Chapman from Raymond Eaton 9/25/1963, 1/24/1963; from Murl Rogers10/29/1980 (original & copy); TLS from John Melton (copy) 5/12/1957, TLS from Chapman to Rogers (2 copies) 11/8/1980
  8. TLS J.C. Blackburn to Elizabeth Wise (copy), 12/22/1975
  9. Three letters re Eaton and the shooting in the Student Union, Chapman 6/20, 8/2, 8/9/1988, one TLS from Melton answering Chapman's questions (original and copy), two page article by Chapman (photocopy) and page 5 of a longer writing
  10. Letter to Lee Bell, (photocopy) 10/26/1983, letter to Heather Lloyd 6/28/1981 (photocopy) both re photographs,
  11. The Real Pistol Pete by Joe d. Haines, Jr., correspondence with Dough Dollar, editor of OSU Alumni Magazine about publication of the article
  12. Transcript of Radio interview with Eaton at age 89
  13. Eaton autograph (photocopy) to Rolla Goodnight from the flyleaf of a book
  14. Trial testimony (photocopy); Lawyers: Smith and Cornett re Indian ancestry of a Joseph Greenmoore
  15. Eaton death certificate (photocopy), questionnaire completed for Oklahoma Historical Society (photocopy)
  16. Notarized statement (photocopy) by Doyle r. Harral re Eaton’s rifle
  17. Indian Ancestry of Frank Eaton (photocopy) typed with ALS by “Aunt Kin”
  18. Map (photocopy) of Eaton home place
  19. Homestead papers (21 photocopies) arranged by document number at top of page
  20. Western Heritage Award invitation and two programs, March 15, 1997
  21. Booklet for nomination of Eaton into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame; invitation letter from Lance Millis; Kenneth W. Townsend letter to Pres. Halligan; cover letter from Gary Minshall introducing his poem While Ridin’ Along the Cimarron about Eaton
  22. Trouble in New Mexico: The Outlaws, Gunmen, Desperados, Murderers and Lawmen for Fifty Turbulent Years by Bill Reynolds, Vol. 2 p. 26,27, Vol. 3 p. 212, 213; Cattleman, October 1956, p.44, 46 (photocopies)
  23. A History of Our Aggie – “Pistol Pete” prepared by Dan Jack, Director, Alumni Association, August 29, 1986
  24. Photographs (photocopies) from the Western History Collection, Oklahoma University
  25. Photograph (scanned image) of Eaton, woman and child
    Photograph (copy) of Eaton on horse (National Cowboy Museum photo)
  26. Clippings, undated (photocopies) (21 pages)
  27. Clippings, 1945-1959 (photocopies) (8 articles, 12 pages)
  28. Clippings, 1960’s (photocopies) (3 articles, 14 pages)
  29. Clipping, Stillwater NewsPress, April 20, 1969 picture of Eaton standing beside a saddle (original newspaper and 2 photocopies)
  30. Clippings, 1970’s (photocopies) (4 articles, 8 pages)
  31. Clippings, 1980’s (photocopies) (11 articles, 28 pages)
  32. Clipping, (original) Stillwater NewsPress, Sunday, March 2, 1997 C1
  33. Photocopies from publications (9 articles, 42 pages)
  34. OSU Web Page, 7/16/96

BOX 2

Folder

  1. Audio tape interviews with Elizabeth Eaton Wise, Frank Eaton’s daughter, April 1993 and with Frank Eaton by Jim Wells, KSPF Interview Radio, Stillwater, OK
  2. Audio tape interview on WKY Radio, OKC by Harry Mckeever with Frank Eaton and Rolla Goodnight, 5/8/1938
  3. Audio tape interview on KCRC radio, Enid, with E. L. McAlester with Frank Eaton and Rolla Goodnight, 9/13/51
  4. Interview with Frank Eaton by Effie S. Jackson October 26, 1937 (W.P.A. Interview Project)




 

OSU Vertical File:

Monographs Beach, Goodwin B., Litt.D. Petrus Sclopetarius (Pistol Pete): A True Story of the Old West done into Latin. 1959. OSU Call Number: 478.6 B365p. This is a privately printed pamphlet translated into Latin for the professor's classes. Eaton, Frank. Pistol Pete: Veteran of the Old West. Boston: Little, Brown, 1952; Perkins, Okla.: Evans Publications, 1979. OSU Call Number: 917.66 E14p; 917.66 E14p 1979. Several copies are available in the library. Shirley, Glenn. "Saga of Pistol Pete: Frank Eaton" in Toughest of them All. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1953. 1-14. OSU Call Number: 813 s5585t (Also in Main.)

Sound Recordings "Saga of the Old West sound recording : interview with Frank "Pistol Pete" Eaton, frontier Marshall." Oklahoma City : Heritage Records, 1991. Special Collections Call Number: MEDIA 917.66 E14Zsl

Interview with Elizabeth Eaton Wise, 1993 April.

Interview with Jim Wills, KSPI Radio, Stillwater, OK

WKY Radio, OKC - Harry McKeever Frank Eaton and Rolla Goodnight. 5/8/38

KCRC Radio, Enid E.L. McAlester. Frank Eaton and Rolla Goodnight. 9/13/51


Photographs

There are several photographs of Frank Eaton and of the "Pistol Pete" caricature. See Special Collections and University Archives staff for assistance.

Frank B. Eaton photos located in Photo Collection:

#9295 Frank Eaton and Nina Belle Hurst Nichols: Age 97 and 75 respectively.
#9995 Co-Agent-Cimarron County: Frank Eaton standing by car smoking.
#14322 Frank “Pistol Pete” Eaton on float, Homecoming 1954
#14323 Frank “Pistol Pete” Eaton on float, Homecoming 1955
#14324, #14325 Frank “Pistol Pete” Eaton in Homecoming Parade
#15409 Full length photo, Frank Eaton dressed as cowboy
#23001 Frank Eaton, profile, showing braids, and hat
#23280 Left to right: Keith Eaton, B. B. Chapman, Frank "Pistol Pete" Eaton, displaying his gun, Nancy Brown
#23281 Frank Eaton visiting B.B. Chapman’s history class, reviewing his book, 'Veteran of the Old West' at OAMC, Dec. 2, 1954. Earl Lunoford in the letter jacket (also in OAMC Magazine Jan. 1955, p. 11, Collection #83007)
#27076 Frank Eaton visiting B.B. Chapman’s history class, reviewing his book, 'Veteran of the Old West' at OAMC
See also: photos of "Pistol Pete" caricature in Athletic photos

Webpages

http://www.ocolly.okstate.edu/new_ocollycom/link_site/index_frame.php?link=http%3A//collegeprep.okstate.edu/homepages.nsf/toc/pistolpete

www.oksenate.gov/senate_artwork/frank_eaton.html

http://pio.okstate.edu/about/?pete

http://www.jcs-group.com/oldwest/guns/pete.html

 

 

Daily O'Collegian

Consult staff members about the Daily O'Collegian database for articles referring to Pistol Pete or Frank Eaton. Current years available are beginning to 1913, 1974-1979, 1981-1995.

Related Collections

John Melton Collection (92-078) contains clippings (photocopies) from the Stillwater News-Press from August 27, 1953 - November 29, 1956 of Frank Eaton's columns "Truthful Pete Says" and "Pistol Pete Says".

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Special Collections and University Archives
Oklahoma State University Library, Stillwater, OK 74078-1071
Phone 405-744-6311

Contact SCUA
URL: http://www.library.okstate.edu/scua/scua/Pistol.htm
Last Updated: 15 June 2006