Mayes County, Oklahoma

Mayes County Education, Geography, and History

Mayes County is a county located in the state of Oklahoma. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 41,259. Its county seat is Pryor Creek, Oklahoma. 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.

Etymology - Origin of Mayes County Name

Named for a prominent family in the Cherokee Nation, two members of which were principal chiefs of the tribe.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Mayes County History

According to the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, the area covered by what is now Mayes County has many prehistoric sites. There is evidence of human habitation dated before 6,000 B. C., plus 35 Archaic sites ( 6,000 B. C to 1 A. D.), 25 Woodland sites (1 A. D. to 1000 A. D.) and 31 Plains Village sites (1000 A. D. to 1500 A. D.

French voyageurs roamed the area in the early 18th Century, giving French names to many of the waterways and other local sites. Jean Pierre Chouteau established a trading post at the location of the present town of Salina, where he chiefly traded with the Osage tribe that had settled in the vicinity. Union Mission, near the present day town of Chouteau, Oklahoma was established in 1820. Rev. Samuel Worcestor set up the first printing press in this part of the United States at Union Mission in 1835.

In 1828, members of the Western Cherokee Nation began arriving in the area from their former lands in Arkansas. The Eastern Cherokee, who were forced from their homes in Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina, followed during the 1830s. In 1841, the present Mayes County area became part of the Saline District of the Cherokee Nation.

Oklahoma History Center
Mayes County is located near the northeastern corner of Oklahoma. Surrounding counties include Craig to the north, Delaware to the east, Cherokee and Wagoner to the south, and Rogers to the west. The topography of the county's 683.51 square miles is divided by the Grand River, and of the total area 27.37 square miles is surface water. The eastern half lies on the edge of the Ozark Plateau, or Ozark Uplift, characterized by flat areas divided by deep, V-shaped stream valleys. The western half of the county lies in the Prairie Plains. The incorporated towns include Adair, Chouteau, Disney, Grand Lake, Langley, Locust Grove, Pensacola, Pryor Creek, Salina, Spavinaw, Sportsmen Acres, and Strang....MAYES COUNTY

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 684 square miles (1,770 km²), of which 655 square miles (1,700 km²) is land and 28 square miles (73 km²) (4.1%) is water.

The county is bisected by the Grand River. The eastern half of the county is on the Ozark Plateau, with flat areas divided by deep stream valleys. The western half is in the Prairie Plains.

The county contains several man-made major reservoirs, including:

Lake Fort Gibson;
Lake Spavinaw;
Grand Lake o' the Cherokees;
Lake Hudson;
Salina Pumped Storage Project.

Lake Spavinaw is owned by the city of Tulsa and is the principal source of water for the city. The other three reservoirs were built by the Federal Government primarily for flood control and hydroelectric power generation. They are managed by the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA). GRDA also manages the GRDA Coal-fired power generation station

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Craig County (north)
• Delaware County (east)
• Cherokee County (southeast)
• Wagoner County (south)
• Rogers County (west)

Education

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