city, seat (1907) of Mayes county, northern Oklahoma, U.S., located northeast of Tulsa. It was settled in 1872 and named for Nathaniel Pryor, a scout on the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the builder of a trading post (1820) on the Verdigris River near the present city site. Pryor is a trade centre for an agricultural area. It carries on dairying and cotton-ginning activities and also produces wood, paper, cement, gypsum, and chemicals. An agricultural experiment station is located there. The construction of Pensacola Dam nearby in 1940 contributed to the city's industrial expansion. Pop. (2000) 8,659; (2003 est.) 9,098.