Biographical Sketch of S. H. Mayes Jr.
Samuel Houston Mayes, born on October 11, 1866, in the Choctaw Nation, was educated in the Saline District before graduating in 1886. He married Florence Nicodemus in 1892, and they had four children. A farmer near Pryor, Mayes served on the Council from the Cooweescoowee District starting in 1901. He was connected to notable figures in Cherokee leadership, related as a nephew to several Principal Chiefs. His Cherokee name, Sa-moo-sti, reflects his heritage.