Salina, located in Mayes County along the banks of the Grand River, is historically celebrated as the oldest permanent European-American settlement and town in the state of Oklahoma, having been established in 1796 by French fur trader Jean-Pierre Chouteau. Conceived as a trading post to facilitate commerce with the Osage Nation, the settlement predated the Louisiana Purchase and served as a vital frontier outpost for trappers and explorers. Following the forced relocation of Native American tribes during the Trail of Tears, the surrounding region became part of the Cherokee Nation, cementing Salina's unique and enduring place in the early multi-cultural history of the American frontier.