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, 25 Woodland sites and 31 Plains Village sites built a line in 1913 that joined the Katy system at Strang, Oklahoma.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and 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:
As of 2010 Mayes County had a population of 41,259. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 68.0% white, 0.4% black, 21.4% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.8% reporting some other race and 9.0% of the population reporting two or more races. 2.7% of the population reported being Hispanic or Latino of any race. As of the census of 2000, there were 38,369 people, 14,823 households, and 10,820 families residing in the county. The population density was 58 people per square mile. There were 17,423 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 72.14% White, 0.30% Black or African American, 19.10% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 7.55% from two or more races. 1.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 94.8% spoke English, 2.1% Cherokee, 1.4% Spanish and 1.2% German as their first language. There were 14,823 households out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.20% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.00% were non-families. 23.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.02. In the county, the population was spread out with 26.60% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 26.20% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $31,125, and the median income for a family was $37,542. Males had a median income of $31,668 versus $20,573 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,350. About 11.20% of families and 14.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.90% of those under age 18 and 10.90% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Economy
Agriculture has long been the primary economic activity in the county. Important crops include: corn, soybeans, sorghum and hay. Cattle raising and dairy farming occur in the more rugged parts of the Ozark Plateau. Heavy industry came to the county in 1941 with the creation of the government-owned Oklahoma Ordnance Works, a munitions manufacturing plant near Pryor. The plant, which had been operated by duPont, closed after the end of World War II, and remained vacant for many years. In 1960, the former munitions plant was converted into the MidAmerica Industrial Park, which included plants manufacturing paper, cement and fertilizer. The Grand River Dam Authority is a major employer. It operates several hydroelectric plants and two coal-fired electric power generators in the county. There is a Google data center in the county.
