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Pryor, Oklahoma Facts:
- County: Mayes
- Coverage Area (Total): 6.5 sq. miles
- Elevation: 643 ft.
- Population: 9,539
- Cities/Towns covered in local Names and Numbers Phone Book: Adair, Cedar Crest, Chouteau, Disney, Ketchum, Langley, Locust Grove, Peggs, Pryor, Rose, Salina, Spavinaw, Strang
Pryor History
The Pryor area (also known as "Pryor Creek") was settled by Captain Nathaniel Pryor of the Lewis and Clark Expedition just before 1820. Once a post office was established some years later, the town was officially named Coo-Y-Yah (meaning "huckleberry" in Cherokee). In 1887, the name was changed to Pryor Creek, but the "Creek" was dropped in 1909 due to confusion in deciphering handwritten mailing addresses to "Pryor Creek" and "Pond Creek."
On April 27, 1942, Pryor's downtown business district was destroyed by a F4 tornado that damaged property in excess of $2 million and killed 52 people. Today, business is prosperous in Pryor and the surrounding area; Google Inc. opened a data center in Pryor in October 2011, and expanded the center in April 2012.
Pryor Attractions
Pryor maintains a variety of attractions including:
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