Meet Pistol Pete, the Wild West’s Toughest Cowboy

Before he became one of the most feared and respected figures of the Wild West, Pistol Pete was simply Francis Boardman Eaton, born on October 26, 1860, in Hartford, Connecticut. Life on the East Coast was quiet for the Eatons, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long. Frank’s father, a strong Union supporter, was soon swept up in the chaos of the Civil War, leaving behind a young family to fight for what he believed in.

That wartime service came with a cost. Though he returned from the battlefield alive, the postwar world brought new dangers. With the promise of cheap land and a fresh start, the Eaton family moved west to Twin Mound, Kansas, around 1867. It was there, on the wild frontier, that young Frank’s real story began – and where his father’s ended in blood.

Murdered in Cold Blood

Frank Sr. wasn’t quiet about his anti-slavery beliefs, and Kansas wasn’t a safe place for a man like that. Former Confederate guerrillas, Quantrill’s Raiders and similar outlaw groups, were still active, bitter, and dangerous. When Frank Sr. crossed paths with some ex-Confederates, the encounter turned deadly. Days later, they came back and shot him dead in front of his son.

Watching his father being murdered set young Frank on a path that would define the rest of his life. It wasn’t just grief – it was fury. And that fury would shape the boy into something else entirely.

The Vow of Vengeance

After his father’s death, Frank Jr. was taken in by a family friend named Mose Beeman, a former gunslinger who understood that justice on the frontier often had to be taken into one’s own hands. Mose gave Frank a mission: avenge your father, or bear an old man’s curse. That kind of statement sticks in a boy’s mind, and Frank took it seriously.

Over the next few years, Frank trained. He learned to shoot with both hands, at long range and up close. He wasn’t just learning for fun. Every bullet was practice for the day he would find the men who stole his father.

Earning His Name

At just 15, Frank took his training to the next level and headed to Fort Gibson in Indian Territory, home of the U.S. Army’s 10th Cavalry Regiment. The soldiers didn’t expect much from the skinny teenager, especially one with a crossed left eye. But Frank didn’t need to aim down the sights. He could shoot from instinct, and when the dust cleared, even the best marksmen at the fort couldn’t beat him.

So impressed was the commanding officer that he gave Frank a nickname that would follow him for the rest of his life: Pistol Pete. It was more than a label. It was a title earned by outshooting trained soldiers in their own backyard.

Hunting Down Killers

With his gunslinging reputation growing, Pete set off to complete the mission that had defined his youth. Over the course of a year, he tracked down and killed five of the six men involved in his father’s murder. The sixth, as legend goes, died in a card game before Pete could find him.

It wasn’t official justice, but it was justice enough for a cowboy who had learned that law books didn’t always reach the ends of the prairie. He had kept his promise to his father, to Mose Beeman, and to himself.

Lawman of the Territory

By age 17, Pistol Pete had taken things a step further. He reportedly became one of the youngest U.S. Deputy Marshals in American history, commissioned by the infamous “Hanging Judge” Isaac Parker. His beat covered the wild lands of Indian Territory, stretching through present-day Oklahoma, Kansas, and even northern Texas.

He was known for his quick draw, deadly aim, and fearlessness. He once claimed he was faster than Buffalo Bill himself. Whether that was true or not, few people were willing to challenge him on it. His reputation was enough.

A Love That Saved His Life

While patrolling the frontier, Pete met a young woman named Jenny, known for her deep faith. She gave him a crucifix necklace, hoping it would protect him. One day, during a gunfight, Pete was shot in the chest – but the bullet struck the crucifix and bounced off. He survived because of it.

He would later say, “I’d rather have the prayers of a good woman in a fight than half a dozen hot guns.” Sadly, Jenny died young from pneumonia, but the story of that necklace stayed with him, a rare moment of grace in a hard, violent life.

Building a Life in Oklahoma

After years of service, Pete settled down. In 1889, he participated in the Oklahoma Land Run, claiming land near what would become Perkins, Oklahoma. There, he opened a blacksmith shop, became town sheriff, and helped build the community from the ground up.

Pete married twice more. His second wife, Orfa Miller, died from illness. He then married Anna Selix, with whom he had eight children. Life wasn’t always kind, but Pete kept going, just like he always had.

The Legend Lives On

Despite the losses, Pete lived a long life. He worked as a marshal, sheriff, and deputy well into old age. Depending on the story, he had 11 to 15 notches on his pistol – killings confirmed in the line of duty or in defense of others. He became a walking piece of folklore, a living connection to the raw spirit of the frontier.

He also became a storyteller, writing two books about his life. One was his autobiography, and the other was a collection of “campfire stories”, passed down by those who had listened to him spin tales on his porch in Perkins.

Becoming a Mascot

Perhaps the most unexpected twist in Pete’s life came in 1923, when he rode a horse in Stillwater, Oklahoma’s Armistice Day Parade. The students of Oklahoma A&M College (now Oklahoma State University) were so taken with the aging cowboy that they adopted his name and image as their official mascot.

Today, “Pistol Pete” is more than just a memory. He’s a symbol, the face of a university, and a reminder that some legends never die.

A Final Shot

Pete passed away on April 8, 1958, at the age of 97. He left behind a large family – nine children, 31 grandchildren, and even great-great-grandchildren. But more than that, he left behind an image: a man with two pistols, a quick draw, a haunted past, and an unshakable sense of justice.

One of the most iconic stories about him ends with a simple coin tossed into the air. Before it could hit the ground, Pete shot it clean out of the sky. That’s who he was – a man faster than the fall of gravity, and tougher than the dirt he rode on.

The Truth Is Wild Enough

There’s something about Pistol Pete’s story that just sticks with you. Maybe it’s the way he turned tragedy into purpose. Maybe it’s how he never stopped standing up for what he thought was right, even when the law didn’t back him. Or maybe it’s the sheer grit of a man who could outshoot trained soldiers as a teenager and outlive every danger the frontier threw at him.

What’s truly fascinating is that his life straddled both myth and reality. Some of his stories might be exaggerated, but even the truth is wild enough. Whether you believe every bullet and every bandit, the spirit of Pistol Pete captures exactly what we imagine when we think of the Wild West: rugged, righteous, and totally unforgettable.