2021 Membership Directory & Mayes County Guide

through their knowledge and the Willard Stone Museum,
experience in martial arts and Inc. began work on securing a
fitness. Classes taught in the new location to house his
6,000 ft. facility include artwork. The historic bank
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai building constructed in 1912,
(kickboxing), NoGi Submission at the corner of Ross and
Grappling, MMA, Self-Defense Broadway in downtown Locust
and Instructor-led Tri-Fit. Grove was selected and will
• trinitypryor.com provide a location to collect,
• 918.373.9085 preserve and exhibit the art
• 1030 W Graham Ave., Pryor and related materials
pertinent Stone’s life.
A unique shop offering a wide • WillardStoneMuseumInc.com
range of quality buffalo, elk • 918.951.9663
and venison meat for sale, • PO Box 833, Locust Grove
including steaks, roasts,
burger, jerky and many other
cuts. Pecans are available
October through April. The
store also has an array of gifts
and Native American products.
• 918.785.5695
• 308 S Mayes (Highway 69),

Adair

Contemporary Native A gaming facility, music venue
American artist Willard Stone, and horse racing track all in
who made his home in Locust one central location! Catch the
Grove, is recognized as one of excitement of Quarter Horse
the foremost wood and bronze racing September through
sculptors in the U.S. In 2019, November and Thoroughbred,
Appaloosa and Paint racing

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© 2021 Pryor Area Chamber of Commerce 101

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March through May all from Zoo Safari is a unique
the 2,700 seat grandstand zoological park that is
that runs along the mile-long committed to provide an
track. The casino section is educational experience to
home to the most dynamic visitors that will create an
and exciting e-games action awareness of the animals and
in the region. Restaurants, plants in which we share our
banquet facilities, live world. Zoo Safari is a
entertainment and Oklahoma’s non-profit organization and a
largest RV park are also fully-functioning zoo, which
housed in the complex. concentrates on smaller
• cherokeecasino.com/ animals that are not seen on a
regular basis. Zoo Safari is a
will-rogers-downs teaching zoo, focused on
• 918.283.8800 smaller animals, wildlife and
• Highway 20 between Pryor conservation.
• zoosafariusa.org
and Claremore • 918.386.2203
• 5301 Earbob Road,

Locust Grove

102 © 2021 Pryor Area Chamber of Commerce

Few roads in Oklahoma can claim D.N. Fink, President of Commercial
as much history as Highway 69 National Bank of Muskogee,
which runs in a southwesterly attended as a delegate from the
direction from Miami to Durant. youngest state, Oklahoma. Out
This stretch of road reaches back of that and subsequent meetings
in time to the days when the evolved the Jefferson Highway
Osage were the dominant people Association with the goal of
in the region. It has gone by many building a 365-day road (meaning
names in its two hundred years or it could be travelled even in wet,
more of existence - the Osage winter weather).
Trace, the Texas Road, the
Military Road, the East Shawnee The main cities along this highway
Cattle Trail, and the Jefferson were New Orleans, Baton Rouge,
Highway. Denison, Muskogee, Joplin, Kansas
City, Des Moines, St. Paul and
W.T. Meredith, editor of Better Winnipeg, Manitoba. The route
Homes and Gardens magazine in veered out of the Louisiana
1915, proposed the formation of a Purchase in that neither Texas nor
highway to run through the states Manitoba had been part of that
that were part of the Louisiana great land deal.
Purchase. Meredith thought the
road should be called the Jefferson The Jefferson Highway Association
Highway in honor of Thomas raised funds for the project by
Jefferson’s “greatest real estate membership dues of $9 per mile.
deal in history.” A call went out Many counties also raised funds
to the states making up the for the road through bond issues.
Louisiana Purchase to meet in So the road was a cooperative
New Orleans in November 1915 effort between government and
to discuss such a highway. private enterprise.

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© 2021 Pryor Area Chamber of Commerce 103

(Continued from previous page) would be paved, beating Route
66 which wasn’t completed until
Oklahoma did its part in getting 1938. The Jefferson Highway
the highway built, following the Association marked the entire
route of the Texas Road. D.N. route with blue and white
Fink, who had been elected vice directional poles and aggressively
president of the Jefferson Highway advertised it as a “tourist’s
Association, reported in 1916 that delight.”
he and his family had travelled
from Muskogee to Joplin (149 A recently rejuvenated Jefferson
miles, through Pryor) in “just Highway Association is currently
seven hours.” In 1925, highway working to bring some much
commissioners from 11 states in deserved recognition to this
the Mississippi Valley met at historic highway.
Kansas City to work on plans to
bring state roads into a numbered If Route 66 is “the mother road,”
federal highway system. The then perhaps Route 69 could be
Jefferson Highway, being one of called the “grandaddy of roads”.”
the best in America at that time, It’s past, rich in the history of
was made a federal highway. The people, places and events should
Oklahoma portion of this road was be preserved and celebrated and
designated U.S. Highway 69. towns along the old Osage Trace
should undertake to promote it as
Road construction was delayed ardently as those who promote
during WWI but it was projected Route 66.
that by 1929 the entire 2,300
miles of the Jefferson Highway Excerpted from an article by Jonita Mullins
Originally published in Preservation Oklahoma
News

104 © 2021 Pryor Area Chamber of Commerce

1. Pryor Chamber 8. Continue Hwy 59/10 S to CRUSIN’ MAYES COUNTY
100 E Graham Ave Jay; Turn onto Hwy 20 W
918.825.0157 for 1 mi

2. MC Cultural Center 9. Travel S on Hwy 59/10 to
& City Hall Galleries Kansas, OK
6 S Adair St
918.864.7224 10. Turn W on Scenic Hwy 412A
to Locust Grove
3. Travel N on Historic Jefferson
Hwy (Hwy 69) to Adair & Hwy 11. Travel N on Hwy 82 to
28 Salina

4. Turn E on Hwy 28 to GRDA 12. Turn onto Hwy 20 W
Eco Center & Pensacola
Dam  918.256.0803 13. Travel W across
Lake Hudson to Pryor
5. Turn back to Hwy 82 and
go N; Turn onto Hwy 85 14. Continue on Hwy 20 to
E/N Historic Pryor Main Street
District
6. Continue onto Hwy 85A E/N
15. Arrive back Jefferson Hwy
7. Travel Hwy 125 N to starting point
Hwy 59 S to Grove

© 2021 Pryor Area Chamber of Commerce 105

Members of PACC come from all sectors of the community and from
all around the area. Whether you are a private citizen, a member of
civic/charitable group or church, whether you’re a sole proprietor or
a corporate VP, you should know that PACC works for you! Because
at PACC, it all comes down to people like you.

People join PACC because they know this is an organization that
makes a real difference: in catalyzing and sustaining a robust
economy, in creating a higher quality of life for the entire
community and in bringing people together with opportunity. With
PACC’s help, business functions more productively and residents
enjoy greater personal benefits from living in the Pryor area.

The Pryor Area Chamber of Commerce is involved with a number of
yearly events and offers a variety of Member programs, benefits,
marketing opportunities and publications to help move your business
forward!

Businesses that join their local Chamber 100 E. Graham Ave.
have: Pryor, OK 74361

Increased Consumer Favorability pryorchamber.com
Increase in Consumer Awareness 918.825.0157
Increase in Local Reputation
Likelihood of Future Patronage [email protected]

*While the information in this publication was compiled with great care to assure the
correctness of editorial content, membership data, and advertising copy, Pryor Area
Chamber of Commerce assumes no liability for the accuracy of the information
contained herein.

Photo credits include Chamber staff, and others provided. Cover art designed by the
Pryor Area Chamber of Commerce.

106 © 2021 Pryor Area Chamber of Commerce