county information

 

County: MAYES
Region: Northeast
2000 County Population: 33369
1998 County Population: 37074 
1997 County Population: 33366 
1990 County Population: 32261 

Labor Force within 30 Miles: 263,800

OVERVIEW

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, 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 is on U.S. 69 and S.H. 20, and is 20 miles from the Arkansas River Navigation Channel. MidAmerica Industrial Park is Oklahoma's largest industrial park with approximately 9,000 acres.
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. Manufacturing is the most important industry division in the county both in terms of employment and wages. Public andministration, services and retail follow this. Recreation is also becoming inportant since Pryor Creek is located within 30 minutes of five lakes - Hudson, Fort Gibson, Grand Lake O' the Cherokees, Spavinaw and Eucha.
The Mayes County Historical Society published Historical Highlights of Mayes County. For additional information, call the county clerk's office at 918-825-2426.

Location: Mayes County is in northeastern Oklahoma.
Climate: The average precipitation is 45.6 inches yearly in this area. January's average temperature is 40.6 degrees Fahrenheit and July's average is 79.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
County Seat: Pryor Creek - population 8,659 (2000 census data)
Distances: Pryor Creek to: Muskogee - 41 miles, Tulsa - 46 miles, Bartlesville - 67 miles.
Land Area: 683 square miles of rolling hills and valleys.

POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS

The population density of the county is 50.8 persons per square mile. The median age of all persons in the county is 35.5, the female median age is 36.9 and the male median age is 34.2.

UTILITIES

Utility services are provided primarily by the following carriers:

Public Service Co. of Oklahoma, Grand River Dam Authority
Oklahoma Natural Gas Co.
Chouteau Telephone Co., Salina-Spavinaw Telephone Co., Southwestern Bell Telephone Co.

LABOR FORCE

The Mayes County labor force was 14,430 in 1997. Participation rate in the county labor force constitutes 68.58% of males and 45.94% of females, An average annual unemployment rate of 4.3% was recorded by the county in 1998, and the per capita personal income for this county is $16,056 for 1997.

TRANSPORTATION

Mayes County, like other counties in Oklahoma, has the benefit of modern, quality transportation systems, facilities and services. Major highways in this county are I-44, U.S. 69, U.S. 412 and SH 20.

HOUSING

The county has 15,470 housing units and of these 76.8% are owner occupied. The median home value in the county is $42,400, the median housing rental contract is $214.00 per month and statewide housing units number 1,406,499 of which 68.1% are owner occupied. The statewide median home value is $48,100

TAX STRUCTURE
The county tax in Mayes County is 5/8% and the state sales tax is 4.5%. Local sales tax for cities in this county can be found in the individual community profiles and the corporate tax statewide is 6%.

EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES

The county is home to the Northeast Area Vo-Tech. In Mayes County 67.9% of persons over 25 years of age have a high school diploma and 10.8% are college graduates. Statewide high school graduates in the same age range total 74.6% and the percent of college graduates over 25 years of age is 17.8%. Rogers State University has a branch campus in Pryor. A new facility is currently underway for OSU-Okmulgee at the MidAmerica Industrial Park.

PRIMARY EMPLOYERS IN THE AREA
Major Employers Product/Service
Number Employed
City/Town
Grede-Pryor, Inc. Iron Castings
574
Pryor Creek
Grand River Dam Authority Electricity
333
Pryor Creek
HEM, Inc. Industrial Saws
256
Pryor Creek
Labinal Aero Defense Systems Wiring Harnesses
250
          Pryor Creek
Protein Technologies Intl. Isolated Soy
214
Pryor Creek
RAE Mfg. Co Commercial Air Conditioners
207
Pryor Creek
Featherlite Vogue Luxury Motor Homes
195
Pryor Creek
Wil-Gro Fertilizer Urea
153
Pryor Creek
Orchid's Converting Plant Converting Plant
142
Pryor Creek
Lone Star Industries Cement
137
Pryor Creek
Georgia Pacific Corp Wallboard Liner
125
Pryor Creek
Norit Americas, Inc. Activated Carbon
101
Pryor Creek
NGC Industries Wall Board Liner/Felt
98
Pryor Creek
G.A.P. Roofing Saturated Roofing Felt
85
Pryor Creek
Red Devil Paint Products
81
Pryor Creek
Midwest Carbide Corp. Calcium Carbide
80
           Pryor Creek
Orchids Paper Mill Paper Products
78
Pryor Creek
Express Metal Steel Mfg.
70
Locust Grove
Jer-Co Duct Work, process heaters
75
Locust Grove

INDUSTRIAL SITES AND BUILDINGS

MidAmerica Industrial Park, Pryor Creek's certified industrial park, is approximately 70% developed with 5,400 acres of land for sale. Contact the park at 918-825-3500 or http://www.maip.com for further information.

Data on Industrial and Building sites are available for this county. Please contact Information Management, of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce for a current printout of this Real Estate Database. Call (405) 815-5144 in Oklahoma City.

TOURISM POINTS OF INTEREST

Recreation Area - Locust Grove State Park, Saline, Snowdale, Spavinaw, Disney, Cherokee I, II, III
Major Lakes - Grand Lake O' the Cherokees, Hudson, Fort Gibson
Major Stream Systems - Grand River
Museums and Historic Sites - Saline County Courthouse at Rose and Chouteau Memorial at Salina; Coo-Y-Yah Museum, Pryor

OTHER

The City of Adair is a Project 2000 - Downtown Beautification program participant.

Revised May, 2,000
Oklahoma Department of Commerce,
Information Management

 
 This page was last updated on 03/30/09 .