By Bronwyn Page
From the Archives
In the annals of Hutchinson history, few figures capture the grit and color of the frontier era quite like James Harrison “Rattlesnake Pete” Stephens. Born in Ness City in 1868, Pete earned his nickname from the rattlesnake tails he wore proudly around his hatband. By the time he settled in Hutchinson, he had become a local legend, equal parts cowboy, showman, and survivor of one of the most audacious contests of the Old West.
That contest was Buffalo Bill Cody’s Great Cowboy Endurance Race of 1893, a spectacle born of both jest and defiance. When Cody was denied an official concession at the Chicago World’s Fair, he staged his own Wild West arena just outside the fairgrounds. To prove the cowboy’s relevance in an age of progress and machinery, Cody announced a 1,000-mile horse race from Chadron, Neb., to Chicago. At first, the idea was dismissed as a joke. But Cody, ever the showman, transformed it into a serious event with cash prizes, a gold-plated Colt revolver, and a saddle from Montgomery Ward. Nine riders lined up on June 13, cheered by thousands, ready to test their endurance against time, terrain, and each other.
Among them was Hutchinson’s own Rattlesnake Pete. With his flamboyant hatband and Kansas grit, Pete stood out from the pack. The rules allowed each rider two horses, but they had to finish on one of the originals. Pete’s first horse faltered early, leaving him to rely on his second mount, a steed named “General Grant.” The race was grueling, days of dust, storms, and exhaustion. In Iowa, Pete began coughing up blood, a testament to the toll the journey was taking on his body. Yet he pressed on, sustained by whiskey and sheer determination.
The race itself was chaotic. Some riders were accused of cheating, shipping horses by rail or cutting corners on the secret route. Disputes dragged on for days before John Berry was declared the winner. Pete did not claim victory, but his participation cemented his place in the lore of the event. He embodied the endurance and bravado Cody sought to showcase, even as the race revealed the fading practicality of the cowboy in a modernizing America.
Back in Hutchinson, Rattlesnake Pete lived out his long life, passing away in 1957 at the age of 89. His story remains a thread in the tapestry of Reno County’s heritage, a reminder that local men and women often found themselves swept into national spectacles. For Hutchinson, Pete’s legacy is not about winning but about representing Kansas in one of the last great cowboy contests, a race that began as a joke but became a symbol of resilience and showmanship.
Today, Rattlesnake Pete’s tale offers a reminder that history is not only about victors but about characters who dared to ride, endure, and leave behind stories worth telling. In celebrating Pete, Hutchinson celebrates its own place in the drama of America’s frontier past.
Bronwyn Page is the Director of Operations at the Reno County Museum. She can be reached at bronwyn@renocomuseum.org.