Pryor Creek, Oklahoma

Pryor Creek, Oklahoma
City
Location in the state of Oklahoma
Country	United States
State	Oklahoma
County	Mayes
Government
• Mayor	Jimmy Tramel
Area
• Total	6.5 sq mi (16.9 km2)
• Land	6.5 sq mi (16.8 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.1 km2)  0.31%
Population  (2000)
• Total	8,659
• Density	1,332.5/sq mi (514.5/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
FIPS code	40-61000Template:GR

Pryor Creek, usually known as simply Pryor, is a city in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 8,659 at the 2000 census.

Originally named Coo-Y-Yah, Cherokee for Huckleberry, it was renamed Pryor Creek, the name of the local railroad station (named for the 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, though the official name of the city remains Pryor Creek.

Education

Northeast Technology Center is located near Pryor Creek. Oklahoma State University's Technical branch (OSU-Okmulgee) also has a campus in Pryor Creek as does Rogers State University.

Economy

Mid America Industrial Park is located in 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 will open sometime in the next few years and eventually employ 200 people. The Google Company has decided to shut the worksite down for a while because of the status of the United States economy and work on its overseas projects and affairs.

Pryor Creek is also the home of Catch the Fever Music Festivals, which is host to Bikelahoma, Country Fever and Rocklahoma, just 4 miles north of Pryor Creek. These attractions draw people from all over the world.

Geography

Pryor Creek is located at 36°17′59″N 95°18′50″W (36.299667, -95.313798)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.5 square miles (16.9 km²), of which, 6.5 square miles (16.8 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.31%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR 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 people per square mile (514.3/km²). There were 3,887 housing units at an average density of 598.2/sq mi (230.9/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 of any race 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 all 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.

Events

Pryor Creek is home to the annual 'Country Fever' fest and 'Rocklahoma'.

Tornado

A tornado swept along Pryor Creek'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 twister was described by a witness as the "most awful looking thing anyone could imagine."

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 April 27, 1942, storm that caused damage estimated at $3 million.

File:Pryor1942tornado.jpg

Aftermath of the Tornado that hit Pryor Creek on April 27, 1942

The F4 tornado struck about 5 p.m., an hour and a half after one hit near Talala and mowed a path about five miles long, killing three and injuring 12. Talala, which was not hit, is about 30 miles northwest of Pryor Creek.

Both of Pryor Creek's hospitals were wrecked by the storm, the city's water supply was disrupted and there was no electrical or telephone service. Residential areas also suffered extensive damage.

Gov. 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.

The troopers were assisted by soldiers stationed at the Oklahoma Ordnance Works south of the city and by employees of duPont Co. that was to operate the gun powder plant at the OOW. Ambulances were on the scene from Tulsa, Muskogee, Vinita, Claremore, Wagoner, and Siloam Springs, Arkansas.

Water was trucked in from Vinita and from the Oklahoma Ordnance Works. Tulsa doctors interrupted their weekly meeting, and a team of 20 went to Pryor to care for victims. Others went to the Tulsa hospitals to treat any victims sent there.

A shuttle train that usually transported workers between Muskogee and the Ordnance Works site was pressed into service to transport injured victims to Vinita for treatment.

The Pryor tornado ranks as the fifth deadliest in Oklahoma history behind tornadoes at Woodward in 1947, Snyder in 1905, Peggs in 1920 and Antlers in 1945. The May 3, 1999, tornado at Midwest City caused more damage but fewer deaths.

Talala residents said they did not see the typical funnel of a tornado in the storm. They said what looked like a series of streaks reaching from the clouds to the ground leveled everything in their paths.

But there was a definite funnel at Pryor Creek.

Notable people

• Joseph "Jocko" Clark - US Navy admiral
• "Indian" Bob Johnson - professional baseball player
• Cliff Mapes - professional baseball player