Pistol Pete vs. Sooner Boomers
The two most explosive teams on the college circuit are the OSU Cowboys (Mascot: Pistol Pete) and the Oklahoma Sooners. I thought I would track down their mascot origins. I hope you enjoy the next two articles! The Sooner side of the story is forthcoming.
Pistol Pete-
Pistol Pete, in my understanding, is a caricature of Frank Boardman "Pistol Pete" Eaton, October 26, 1860 – April 8, 1958. An American Author, Cowboy, Indian fighter, Deputy U.S. Marshal; his life was filled with an intense yearning to find the murderers of his father who was a member of the Vigilantes. At 8 years old, young Frank witnessed his father gunned down in cold blood by 6 former Confederates, known as the Regulators after the Civil War.<1>
In 1875, at the mere age of 15, his father’s friend, Mose Beaman, presented him with his first gun. An Old Navy revolver with an eight inch barrel and told him, "My boy, may an old man's curse rest upon you, if you do not try to avenge your father." And so he was off to find the men responsible for killing his father.<2>
It would be another 19 years before he could make good on his promise to bring his father’s killers to justice. Justice of the cowboy: five notches on his gun.
In 1877, he became a U.S. Marshal under Judge Parker, “The Hanging Judge”, at the mere age of 17. He was noted as saying, “I would rather have a pocket full of rocks than an empty gun.” He set up house in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
It was said a cross given to him by his girlfriend, Jennie, deflected a bullet in a gun fight and saved his life. Frank would later write of this, "I’d rather have the prayers of a good woman in a fight than half a dozen hot guns: she’s talking to Headquarters.” Jennie died from pneumonia soon after. Frank buried the cross at the head of her grave. <3>
Involved in many gunfights he was said to say, “My best insurance is, throwin a lot a lead fast and straight.”
He settled in Perkins Oklahoma at the age of 29, during the Oklahoma land rush in 1889. By the end of his career he would add another 10 notches on his gun. He served his later years as a marshal, a sheriff or a deputy sheriff. He was later said to take up blacksmithing.
Frank Eaton died on April 8, 1958 at the age of 97. He still carried his loaded pistols to that day.
<1> Wikipedia
<2> Eatonhome.org
<3> legendsofamerica.com
-Katie Holliday
Aka: Robin Lamberson
