Whitney Wiley Martin was born in Claremore in 1911. He married Lola Mildred Brown. They had two sons, also born in Claremore, Ronnie in 1936, and Nolan in 1937. The Martins later moved to Sapulpa where they lived at 1330 East Lincoln Avenue
Whitney had previously worked as a chef at Sapulpa’s famous Harvey House restaurant and at the luxurious Mayo Hotel dining room in Tulsa.
According to research done by local historian and author Virginia Wolfe, Whitney “Wimpy” Martin purchased one of the old Sapulpa trolley cars from a streetcar line in Tulsa in October of 1932. Martin “turned it into one of the most popular diners in our city, one of Sapulpa’s legends,” Wolfe said. It was not only the unique structure that made the eating establishment so popular but the quality of the cuisine.
In the first volume of her book, “Remembrances and Little Known Facts of Our Community of Sapulpa,” Wolfe writes: “Simple foods, such as fabulous hamburgers, delectable coneys, delicious chili, cold pop and out of this world pies.”
Jim Hubbard, who also a local historian and founding member of the Sapulpa Historical Society said that Martin bought the streetcar from Steryl McAllister and set it on a lot at 515 E. Dewey Ave, opening for business in the early part of July of 1934.
Since this was in the middle of the Great Depression, the menu was priced accordingly. Jumbo hamburgers sold two for 15 cents, the soup was a dime and a superb breakfast, with ham or bacon and eggs, was a mere 35 cents. Even as prices gradually increased over the years, they remained competitive. I know that when I ate there in junior high and high school prices were quite reasonable.
In the “early years,” The diner was open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and Martin found himself with a booming business. He had a standing order with Bean’s Bakery for 100 dozen hamburger buns a week.
He once estimated that he sold over 2 million hamburgers in a three-year period.
From 1941 through 1943, Whitney joined the Navy during WWII, serving in Spokane, Washington, and California from 1941 through 1943. While he was away, the diner was operated by his brothers, Buford, Clarence, and twins Wayne and Wesley. Gerald Hardgrove and Howard Crawford also worked at the diner during Martin’s absence.
Through the years additions were made to the diner to accommodate more customers and to expand the kitchen area. Following the kitchen remodeling, french fries were added to the menu.
Martin’s granddaughter, “Annie” Martin Warner said that as a young girl, she and her grandfather would dig up potatoes from the garden of a family friend which Martin used the potatoes at his diner. She fondly remembers sitting on the counter using the french fry cutter to make french fries from the garden-fresh potatoes.
Warner also recalls spending the weekend at her grandfather’s cabin on Grand Lake. Whenever catfish were caught, they were brought back to the restaurant to be part of the menu. She said they had to be back on Sunday early enough for her to do the necessary chores to prepare the restaurant for Monday’s business.
Hubbard noted in a story that Martin had Sapulpa’s Bartlett-Collins glass plant make him some glass ashtrays with the following message: “Stolen from Wimpy’s Diner, Sapulpa, Oklahoma.”
The ashtrays were requested by travelers from all over the U.S.and are now collector’s items.
The diner was always packed and on any given day, you would find anybody who was anybody eating at Wimpy’s.
A number of Sapulpa residents have shared their memories of the diner on social media.
Larry Youngblood said he “fell in love with the coconut cream pie.”
Bill Masters said he ate there during high school.
Ross Rainwater recalls eating lunch there daily in the 8th grade and a basket of fries and a soft drink was 35 cents.
Charlie Snider said he ate here when he attended Washington Elementary School.
Dick Steeples said the hotdogs “were the best ever.”
Brenda Asher said, “I can still see him standing with his apron pulled up, wiping his hands.”
I remember Wimpy always wore a white chef’s hat. Another iconic image of the diner was the caricature of the Popeye cartoon character, Wimpy,” painted on the front of the diner.
a replica of a trolley car made of cast iron and mounted on a marble slab sat on the cash register. The walls of the diner were decorated with pictures of E.C. Segar’s “Popeye” comic strip characters Olive Oyl, Pappy, Sweet Pea, Wimpy, and Brutus that were drawn and painted by a friend of Whitney’s, Bill Whinery.
Much to the chagrin of Martin’s customers, He closed the business and retired in 1974. He passed away in 1981.
His son, Nolan Martin, subsequently opened a family restaurant on East Hobson called Li’l Wimpy’s. Nancy Tift Rardin worked there during high school as a waitress. She recalled that a couple of her favorite teachers came in and as a joke, they left their tips as piles of pennies.
Annie Martin Warner said that aside from being a consummate cook, her father was an excellent pastry chef, and had taken culinary arts at OSU IT in Okmulgee. She said that after her father graduated, he made wedding cakes in the back of his father’s diner.
My friend Daryl Howard ate there on Friday nights because the special was catfish and hushpuppies which he said were “simply delicious.”
All good things must come to an end and by 1980 Nolan Martin closed the restaurant. He passed away in 1991.
As with so many family-owned and operated businesses in our great city, These two renowned establishments are now relegated to the annals of Sapulpa’s history.
