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One of the most enduring memories from childhood in Red Fork centers around a mysterious figure known as Pop Bottle Pete. Description and stories about him have persisted for decades, capturing the imagination of those who knew him. Resembling a veteran—likely from World War II, given his age—Pete was a wheelchair-bound man who was seen wheeling through Tulsa's streets.
He was a well-known, if somewhat enigmatic, fixture of the neighborhood. Pete would spend his days collecting discarded pop bottles—initially steel bottles used in the era's returnable beverage system—and later cans, all day long. He would push his wheelchair along routes spanning up to ten miles, crossing from residential areas to more distant parts of Tulsa like Carbondale and Garden City.