Originally named Coo-Y-Yah, Cherokee for "place of the huckleberries",[7] it was renamed Pryor Creek in 1887 which was the name of the local railroad station, which in turn 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.
In the early 1800s, treaties with the Cherokee, Osage, and Choctaw gave the tribes allotments in Indian Territory in the region that would become Oklahoma.[8] Captain Nathaniel Hale Pryor, who was married to an Osage woman and served as an agent to the Osage people, was among those settling northeastern Oklahoma.[9] He established a trading post on Grand River, shortly before the Union Mission was established 5miles southeast of present-day Chouteau in 1820.[10]
In 1870, the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad started construction in the Cherokee Nation along the Kansas border, laying tracks to Texas. By June 1871, the railroad reached present-day Pryor Creek.[13]
A post office was eventually established naming the town Coo-y-yah, Indian Territory. Coo-y-yah is Cherokee for "place of the huckleberries".[7] 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.[14] 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.[13]
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.[13]
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 5 miles (8km) long, killing three and injuring 12. Talala, which was not hit, is about 30 miles (48km) northwest of Pryor Creek. Governor Leon C. Phillips put the area under martial law, but because the Oklahoma National Guard had been activated for service during World War II, he sent state troopers to rescue victims, maintain order and prevent looting.[15]
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.[13]
Geography
Pryor is located in northeast Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. Route 69 and Oklahoma State Highway 20. The stream known as Pryor Creek flows past the west and south sides of the city.[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.5square miles (16.9km2), of which 6.5square miles (16.8km2) is land and 0.04square mile (0.1km2) (0.31%) is water.
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 or Latino Americans were 4.9% of the population.[18]
As of the census[19] of 2000, there were 8,659 people, 3,567 households, and 2,343 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,332.5 inhabitants per square mile (514.5/km2). There were 3,887 housing units at an average density of 598.2 per square mile (231.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 77.91% White, 0.29% African American, 14.12% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.97% from other races, and 6.06% from two or more races. Hispanic 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 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 for the city was $16,887. About 10.8% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the poverty line, 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 Zach Doyle, elected in 2023.
Education
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.[13][20]
Pryor is the location of the administrative office and one of the four campuses of Northeast Tech, a vocational and technical school.[21] The Pryor campus has approximately 400 students.[22]
Rogers State University has a branch campus in Pryor.[13] 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.[23]
Pryor Creek is also home to Pryor Beauty College.[24]
The Thunderbird Youth Academy, funded by the Federal Government and operated by the Oklahoma National Guard, is a twenty-two-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.[14]
Economy
Google Data Center, outside Pryor CreekMid-America Industrial Airport near Pryor Creek
In May 2007 Google announced its plans to build a large Internet data center 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.[28] Google shut the worksite down in 2008 because of the status of the United States economy and work on its overseas projects and affairs,[29] then restarted the project in October 2010 and opened at the end of September 2011.[30][31]
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.[28]
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.[32]
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.[14]
Places and events
Pryor is host to Rocklahoma, an annual music festival located 4 miles (6.4km) north of town.[33]
The Coo-Y-Yah Museum is housed in the old Katy Railroad Depot, operated by the Mayes County Historical Society, and contains various Native American and pioneer exhibits.[7]
Area recreational facilities include Pryor Creek Recreation Center, a state-of-the-art fitness venue in a 21,000-square-foot facility housing an indoor pool, a fully equipped gym and more.[37] Pryor's five city parks include 24-acre 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.[37] Pryor is cradled among Lake Hudson (to the east), Lake Oologah (to the northwest), and Fort Gibson Lake (to the south).[38]
Notable people
Preston Bynum (1939-2018), Arkansas politician and businessman
Joseph J. Clark (1893-1971), born in Pryor, Admiral in U.S. Navy during WWII.
Rogers County is located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 95,240, making it the sixth-most populous county in Oklahoma. The county seat is Claremore. Rogers County is included in the Tulsa, OK metropolitan statistical area.
Pawnee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,553. Its county seat is Pawnee. The county is named after the Pawnee Nation, whose reservation used to encompass the county prior to allotment in 1893.
Muskogee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 66,339. The county seat is Muskogee. The county and city were named for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The official spelling of the name was changed to Muskogee by the post office in 1900.
Mayes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,046. Its county seat is Pryor Creek. Named for Samuel Houston Mayes, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1895 to 1899, it was originally created at the Sequoyah Convention in August 1905.
Stilwell / ᏍᏗᎳᏪᎵ is a city located in the sovereign territory of the Cherokee Nation. It is also the county seat of Adair County, Oklahoma. The population was 3,700 as of the 2020 U.S. census, a decline of 6.7 percent from the 3,949 population recorded in 2010. The Oklahoma governor and legislature proclaimed Stilwell as the "Strawberry Capital of the World” in 1949, but the role of strawberries in the local economy has diminished significantly since then. Today, residents of Stilwell are among the poorest and most impoverished in the United States. Stilwell also serves as a gateway to Lake Tenkiller and Adair Park, formerly called Adair State Park before it was defunded.
Grove is a city in Delaware County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,623 at the 2010 census, an increase of 27.6 percent over the figure of 5,131 recorded in 2000. Grove is surrounded by Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees, a professional bass fishing tournament lake and recreational hotspot during the travel season of Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Wakita is a town in Grant County, Oklahoma, United States, approximately 8 miles (13 km) south of the Kansas border. Its population was 344 at the 2010 census, a decrease of 18.1 percent at the 2000 census.
Okmulgee is a city in, and the county seat of, Okmulgee County, Oklahoma. The name is from the Mvskoke word okimulgee, which means "boiling waters". The site was chosen because of the nearby rivers and springs. Okmulgee is 38 miles south of Tulsa and 13 miles north of Henryetta via US-75.
Pawhuska is a city in and the county seat of Osage County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,984. It was named after the 19th-century Osage chief, Paw-Hiu-Skah, which means "White Hair" in English. The Osage tribal government, which opened offices in Pawhuska in 1872 when its reservation was established in Indian Territory, continues to be based in Pawhuska.
Claremore is a city and the county seat of Rogers County in Green Country or northeastern Oklahoma, United States. The population was 19,580 at the 2020 census, a 5.4 percent increase over the figure of 18,581 recorded in 2010. Located in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, the town is home to Rogers State University. It is best known as the home of early 20th-century entertainer Will Rogers.
Bartlesville is a city mostly in Washington County in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 37,290 at the 2020 census. Bartlesville is 47 miles (76 km) north of Tulsa and 18 miles (29 km) south of the Kansas border. It is the county seat of Washington County. The Caney River runs through Bartlesville.
Sand Springs is a city in Osage, Creek and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A western suburb of Tulsa, it is located predominantly in Tulsa County. The population was 19,874 in the 2020 U. S. Census, an increase of 5.1 percent from the figure of 18,906 recorded in 2010.
Catoosa is a city in Rogers and Wagoner counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 7,159 at the 2010 census compared to 5,449 at the 2000 census. This was a 31.2 percent increase during the decade.
Owasso is a city in Rogers and Tulsa Counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and the largest northern suburb of Tulsa. The population was 39,328 persons as of the 2022 census estimate, compared to 28,915 at the 2010 census, a gain of 36 percent. Originally settled in 1881 in Indian Territory, the town was incorporated in 1904 just before Oklahoma statehood and was chartered as a city in 1972.
Green Country, sometimes referred to as Northeast Oklahoma, is the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Oklahoma, which lies west of the northern half of Arkansas, the southwestern corner the way of Missouri, and south of Kansas.
Peggs is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, United States. It had a population of 813 at the 2010 census, compared to 814 at the 2000 census. A large minority of its residents are Native American, most of them members of 10 tribal groups such as the Cherokee Nation and the Muscogee Creek Nation.
MidAmerica Industrial Park (MAIP) is Oklahoma's largest industrial park, located in Pryor Creek, Oklahoma, United States. In 2020, over 80 firms were located within the industrial park including operations of seven Fortune 500 companies, such as Google, DuPont and Nordam. The park was founded in 1960, when the US Federal Government sold most of the former Oklahoma Ordnance Works to a public trust, the Oklahoma Ordnance Works Authority. The rural park covers 9,000 acres (36 km2) and is located 47 miles (76 km) east of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The Tulsa metropolitan area, officially defined as the Tulsa metropolitan statistical area is a metropolis in northeastern Oklahoma centered around the city of Tulsa and encompassing Tulsa, Rogers, Wagoner, Osage, Creek, Okmulgee and Pawnee counties. It had a population of 1,023,988 according to the 2021 U.S. census estimates.
The history of Pryor Creek refers to the history of the region in which the city of Pryor Creek, Oklahoma, in the United States, now lies. Pryor Creek's history in the 1800s, before its official incorporation. It was initially called Coo-y-yah, in Indian Territory, but was later named Pryor Creek.
↑ 2010 general profile of population and housing characteristics of Pryor Creek at [factfinder2.census.gov/ American FactFinder] (accessed August 5, 2013)
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