Created at statehood from lands lying within the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory, the county was named for Samuel H. Mayes, Cherokee chief.
The first permanent white settlement in Oklahoma was at Salina where the French established a trading post in 1769. Near Mazie is the site of Union Mission, established in 1820 by a Presbyterian missionary to the Osages. The important Texas Trail followed the Grand River through the county, entering the state at the northeast corner and continuing south to the Red River.
Pryor Creek (or Pryor), the county seat, was named for Nathaniel Pryor, a scout with the Lewis and Clark expedition who settled at Pryor's Creek, an Osage trading post a few miles southeast of the present town. Located 44 miles from Tulsa, Pryor Creek is on U.S. 69 and S.H. 20, and is 20 miles from the Arkansas River Navigation Channel. Mid-America Industrial Park, the largest in the state, has more than 7,000 acres of industrial real estate.
Industry consists of beef production which ranks number one in the county and dairying which ranks third in the state. Major crops are soybeans, hay, sorghum, wheat and corn.
The Mayes County Historical Society published Historical Highlights of Mayes County. For additional information, call the county clerk's office at 918/825-2426. County narrative provided courtesy of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries from the 2002-2004 Oklahoma Almanac.
| Population Totals | ||
| 2006 Estimate | 2000 Census | |
| Mayes | 39,774 | 38,900 |
| Median Age: | 37.2 | |
| Median Household Income: | 33,272(2004) | $31,125 |
Colleges and Universities
Rogers State University - Pryor Campus
County Government
County Seat- Pryor
Court Clerk- Lori Parson, D, Pryor
Clerk- Rita Littlefield, D, Pryor
Sheriff- Frank Cantey, D, Pryor
Treasurer- Demetia Franklin, D, Pryor
Assessor- Saundra Sam White, D, Pryor
Election Board Secretary- Jill McCullah, D, Pryor
Commissioners:
District 1- Alva Martin, D, Adair
District 2- Darrell Yoder, D, Chouteau
District 3- Melvin Pritchett, R, Salina
