Pryor Creek or Pryor''Oklahoma Atlas & Gazetteer,'' DeLorme, 1st Edition, 1998, p. 36 is a city in and county seat of Mayes County,
Oklahoma
Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
, United States. The population was 9,444 as of the 2020 census.
Originally named ''Coo-Y-Yah'',
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...
for "place of the
huckleberries
Huckleberry is a name used in North America for several plants in the family Ericaceae, in two closely related genera: ''Vaccinium'' and ''Gaylussacia''.
Nomenclature
The name 'huckleberry' is a North American variation of the English dialectal ...
", it was renamed "Pryor Creek" in 1887 after the local railroad station, which was named for the nearby creek. Due to confusion in distinguishing handwritten mailing addresses to Pryor Creek and Pond Creek, the U.S. Postal Service name for the city was shortened to Pryor, and both names are in common usage.
History
In the early 1800s, treaties with the
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...
Choctaw
The Choctaw ( ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States, originally based in what is now Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choct ...
gave the tribes allotments in
Indian Territory
Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...
in the region that would become
Oklahoma
Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
Osage people
The Osage Nation ( ) () is a Midwestern United States, Midwestern Native Americans in the United States, Native American nation of the Great Plains. The tribe began in the Ohio River, Ohio and Mississippi River, Mississippi river valleys arou ...
, was among those settling northeastern Oklahoma. He established a trading post on the Grand River, shortly before the Union Mission was established southeast of present-day Chouteau in 1820.
Pryor Creek is along the path of the
Texas Road
The Texas Road, also known as the Shawnee Trail, or Shawnee-Arbuckle Trail, was a major trade and emigrant route to Texas across Indian Territory (later Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri). Established during the Mexican War by emigrants rushing to ...
cattle trail, and the later
Jefferson Highway
The Jefferson Highway was an automobile highway stretching through the central United States from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada. The Jefferson Highway was replaced with the new numbered US Highway system in the late 1920 ...
of the early
National Trail System
The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...
Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad
The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad was a Class I railroad company in the United States, with its last headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Established in 1865 under the name Union Pacific Railroad (UP), Southern Branch, it came to serve an exten ...
started construction in the Cherokee Nation along the Kansas border, laying tracks to Texas. By June 1871, the railroad reached present-day Pryor Creek.Pryor, Oklahoma. "History of Pryor." Retrieved October 15, 2013.
A post office was eventually established naming the town ''Coo-y-yah'', Indian Territory. Coo-y-yah is Cherokee for "place of the
huckleberries
Huckleberry is a name used in North America for several plants in the family Ericaceae, in two closely related genera: ''Vaccinium'' and ''Gaylussacia''.
Nomenclature
The name 'huckleberry' is a North American variation of the English dialectal ...
". On April 23, 1887, Coo-y-yah was changed to Pryor Creek, but the "Creek" was dropped by the post office on January 26, 1909.George W. Tilly, "Pryor Creek," ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. Accessed August 5, 2013) The official name of the city government is still Pryor Creek despite a proposition put before voters in 1963 to change the name officially to Pryor.
On April 27, 1942, a tornado swept along Pryor's main street from the western edge of the business district to the eastern edge of the city, destroying nearly every building and causing extensive damage to the residential section. The storm killed 52 people, according to the U.S. Weather Bureau, but The Associated Press set the total at 60 two days after the storm. More than 400 were injured in the storm that caused damage estimated at US$3 million.
The F4 tornado struck about 5 p.m. (17:00) local time, an hour and a half after one hit near Talala, Oklahoma, and mowed a path about long, killing three and injuring 12. Talala, which was not hit, is about northwest of Pryor Creek. Governor Leon C. Phillips put the area under martial law, but because the
Oklahoma National Guard
The Oklahoma National Guard, a division of the Oklahoma Military Department, is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It comprises both Army (OKARNG) and Air (OKANG) National Guard components. The Governo ...
had been activated for service during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, he sent state troopers to rescue victims, maintain order and prevent looting.
The Pryor tornado ranks as the fifth deadliest in Oklahoma history behind tornadoes at Woodward in 1947, Snyder in 1905, Peggs in 1920, and Antlers in 1945. The May 3, 1999, tornado at Midwest City caused more damage but fewer deaths.
In 1951, voters approved the present city charter of a mayor-council government system, which provided for the election of a mayor, clerk, treasurer, police chief and eight councilors. The charter also established a cemetery, park, library board, and a municipal utility board, which oversees operations of the city-owned gas, water, electric and sewer systems.
Geography
Pryor is located in northeast Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. Route 69 and
Oklahoma State Highway 20
State Highway 20 (abbreviated SH-20) is a highway in northeastern Oklahoma. Its eastern terminus is at the Missouri state line; its western terminus is at SH-18 near Ralston. The highway runs a total length of . It has no lettered spur route ...
. US-69 leads north to Vinita and south to Wagoner, while SH-20 leads east to Salina and west to Claremore.
The stream known as Pryor Creek flows past the west and south sides of the city. According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...
, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.37%, are water. Via Pryor Creek, the city is within the
Neosho River
The Neosho River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in eastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States. Its tributaries also drain portions of Missouri and Arkansas. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National ...
watershed.
Climate
Demographics
As of the 2010 census Pryor Creek had a population of 9,539. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 72.3% white, 0.7% African American, 16.9% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 1.9% reporting some other race and 7.7% reporting two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino Americans were 4.9% of the population.
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 8,659 people, 3,567 households, and 2,343 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,887 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 77.91%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.29%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.97% from other races, and 6.06% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino were 2.78% of the population.
There were 3,567 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 30.9% of households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,424, and the median income for a family was $37,115. Males had a median income of $33,547 versus $20,737 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $16,887. About 10.8% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 19.9% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The mayor is elected citywide for a four-year term. The city is divided into four wards which each elect two councilmen to two-year terms. A city treasurer, city clerk and police are also elected citywide to two-year terms. The current mayor is Zac Doyle, elected in 2023.
Education
The majority of the city is in the Pryor Public Schools school district. A portion is in the Osage Public School elementary school district. Text list /ref>
Pryor Creek Public Schools includes one early childhood center, three primary schools, one junior high school, one senior high school, a performing arts auditorium and a basketball arena.
Pryor is the location of the administrative office and one of the four campuses of Northeast Tech, a vocational and technical school. The Pryor campus has approximately 400 students.
Rogers State University
Rogers State University (RSU) is a public university in Claremore, Oklahoma, United States. It also has branch campuses in Bartlesville and Pryor Creek.
History
The institution that is now RSU has gone through several stages, from its founda ...
has a branch campus in Pryor. The Rogers State University Pryor campus is the only university serving the Pryor and Mayes County area, and on average more than 350 students attend the campus each semester.
Pryor Creek is also home to Pryor Beauty College.
The Thunderbird Youth Academy, funded by the federal government and operated by the Oklahoma National Guard, is a 22-week program to help high school dropouts restructure their lives. It is open to men and women who are Oklahoma residents, 16 to 18 years old, and is free to the participants. It is held at the site of the former Whitaker State Orphans Home.
Economy
MidAmerica Industrial Park MidAmerica Industrial Park (MAIP), which is Oklahoma's largest industrial park, the third-largest industrial park in the United States, and the eighth-largest industrial park in the world, is located in Pryor, Oklahoma. In 2023, over 80 firms were ...
is located about south of Pryor. It houses more than 80 companies, including Fortune 500 leaders such as
Google
Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...
,
DuPont
Dupont, DuPont, Du Pont, duPont, or du Pont may refer to:
People
* Dupont (surname) Dupont, also spelled as DuPont, duPont, Du Pont, or du Pont is a French surname meaning "of the bridge", historically indicating that the holder of the surname re ...
and Nordam. The facility includes its own airfield, the MidAmerica Industrial Park Airport, featuring a runway refurbished in 2016.
In May 2007
Google
Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...
announced its plans to build a large Internet
data center
A data center is a building, a dedicated space within a building, or a group of buildings used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems.
Since IT operations are crucial for busines ...
at the Mid-America Industrial Park. The $600 million facility is now open and employs around 400 people. It is currently Google's second largest data center in the world. Google shut the worksite down in 2008 because of the status of the United States economy and work on its overseas projects and affairs, then restarted the project in October 2010 and opened at the end of September 2011.
In February 2018, Google announced a $600 million expansion to their data center in Pryor. The investment was to build a new four-story data center, which brought Pryor to be Google's second largest data center in their operations. This brings their total investment in the Pryor community to $2.5 billion.
On June 17, 2021, electric vehicle manufacturer Canoo announced plans to build its first electric vehicle factory in a 400-acre site in the MidAmerica Industrial Park in Pryor.
According to the ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', manufacturing employs about 40 percent of the city's workforce. It is the seventh largest manufacturing center in the state. The main industries that it serves are: machinery, metals, electronics and transportation equipment.
Places and events
Pryor hosts Rocklahoma, an annual rock music festival, and Born and Raised, an annual country music festival.
The Coo-Y-Yah Museum is housed in the old
Katy Railroad
Katy or KATY may refer to:
People and Characters
* Katy, a short form of the name Katherine
* Katy (given name)
* Katy (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a fictional character
* Katy Perry
* Katie Perry, Australian fashion designer
* Katy Perry (prison ...
Depot, operated by the Mayes County Historical Society, and contains various Native American and pioneer exhibits.
Pryor was a shooting site for Season 3 of the FX comedy series ''
Reservation Dogs
''Reservation Dogs'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi for FX Productions. It follows the lives of Indigenous teenagers in rural Oklahoma, as they try to reconcile their heritage with the ...
'' from filmmaker
Sterlin Harjo
Sterlin Harjo (born November 14, 1979)Sam Lewin, , ''Native Times News'', reprinted in ''Canku Ota'', May 24, 2004 (article gives his age as 24 in 2004). is a Native Americans in the United States, Native American filmmaker from Oklahoma. He is ...
.
Parks and recreation
Area recreational facilities include Pryor Creek Recreation Center, a fitness venue in a facility housing an indoor pool, a fully equipped gym and more. Pryor's five city parks include Whitaker Park, which includes an outdoor pool, a fishing pond, and sport facilities; Centennial Park, which has a walking trail and fitness course; and Earl Ward Park, home to the Pryor Creek Golf Club, an 18-hole, par 72 municipal golf course. Nearby bodies of water include Lake Hudson to the east,
Lake Oologah
Lake Oologah is a reservoir in northeastern Oklahoma. It is located near the towns of Oologah, Nowata, and Claremore. The lake has a surface of of water and
of shoreline with 11 lake-side parks. The water storage capacity is rated as . The l ...
to the northwest, and
Fort Gibson Lake
The Fort Gibson Dam is a gravity dam on the Grand (Neosho) River in Oklahoma, north of the town of Fort Gibson. The dam forms Fort Gibson Lake. The primary purposes of the dam and lake are flood control and hydroelectric power production, altho ...
to the south.
Notable people
* Preston Bynum (1939-2018), Arkansas politician and businessman
* Joseph J. Clark (1893-1971), admiral in U.S. Navy during WWII; born in Pryor
* Caleb Hickman, biologist, zoologist
* "Indian" Bob Johnson, professional baseball player
* Roy Johnson, professional baseball player
* Chad Kimsey, professional baseball player
* J. H. Langley, associate justice of Oklahoma Supreme Court
* Cliff Mapes, professional baseball player
* Mayes McLain, professional football player and pro-wrestler
* Christi Passmore, racing driver
* Janees Taylor, Cherokee Nation treasurer (2021–present), tribal councilor (2013-2019)
* Clyde Van Sickle, professional football player
* Hank Wyse, professional baseball player