Lonoke, Arkansas

Lonoke (/ˈloʊnoʊk/) is the second most populous city in Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States, and serves as its county seat. According to 2010 United States Census, the population of the city is 4,245. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Lonoke, Arkansas
City
City of Lonoke
Downtown Lonoke
Location of Lonoke in Lonoke County, Arkansas.
Lonoke Location within the contiguous United States of America
Coordinates: 34°47′3″N 91°54′3″W
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Lonoke
Township	Lonoke
Incorporated	January 22, 1872 (1872-01-22)
Named for	"Lone Oak"
Government
• Type	Mayor–Council
• Mayor	(I)
• Council	Lonoke City Council
Area
• City	4.90 sq mi (12.70 km2)
• Land	4.81 sq mi (12.45 km2)
• Water	0.10 sq mi (0.25 km2)
Elevation	233 ft (71 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	4,276
• Density	889.54/sq mi (343.45/km2)
• Metro	610,518 (Little Rock/North Little Rock
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	72086
Area code	501
FIPS code	05-41420
GNIS feature ID	2404954
Major airport	LIT
Website	cityoflonoke.com

History

Lonoke's history begins with the advance of Union troops through Central Arkansas during the American Civil War. The town of Brownsville was burned to the ground by Union forces after the retreat of Confederate forces westward to Little Rock. After the war, it was decided by the city leaders of Brownsville that a new town should be formed by the nearby railroad so that those who wished to stay could do so.

According to local legend, the town was named for a large red oak tree that was found while trees were being chopped down in order to build houses. The official name of the city was originally Lone Oak. However, due to a misprint in the Lonoke Democrat newspaper, the town's name was printed as Lonoak. Eventually, this misspelling became further misspelled as Lonoke.

The town of Lonoke was very slow to grow. Lonoke maintained a sustainable population through the support of its agricultural based economy until World War II. Because of the baby boom, Lonoke's population began to reach higher numbers. Furthermore, Lonoke became a sort of suburban area of Little Rock due to the implementation of the Interstate Highway System and the construction of Interstate 40.

In recent years, the population of Lonoke has remained in the area of about 4,000 people. As the Little Rock metropolitan area continues to grow, Lonoke's population is expected to grow as well as Lonoke is becoming more suitable as a suburban area.

Eberts Field, used by the United States Army for pilot training during World War I and World War II, was located near Lonoke.

Geography

Lonoke is in central Lonoke County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.6 square miles (12 km²), of which 4.3 square miles (11 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²) (6.07%) is water.

Government

Lonoke is governed by a mayor-council form of city government, in which a mayor, other city administrators, and an eight-member city council are all regularly elected. The city is divided into eight districts (analogous to wards in other cities), each represented on the council by an alderman. In addition to the mayor, the city's clerk, treasurer, attorney and district judge are also popularly elected.

Education

By 1879, the town of Lonoke had grown large enough to recognize the need for free public education. Since the state provided only limited funding, the citizens of Lonoke raised an additional $10,000 through private contributions. Together with the state funds, this money made it possible to start a free public school in the town, offering classes for ten months each year.

The city of Lonoke lacks post secondary institutions due to its small population and rural nature. However, Lonoke does feature a public school district that includes a primary, elementary, middle, and high school. According to the National Institute for Higher Education, Lonoke High School has an average ACT score of 22. However, over 89% of the graduating class of high school from 1987 to 2007 has been accepted to an institution of higher education. Of those 89%, approximately 45% have attended Arkansas State University Beebe.

In addition to its public school system, Lonoke is home to the main campus of the Lonoke Exceptional School, which offers learning opportunities for children and adults with various developmental disabilities. The school has served Lonoke and surrounding areas since 1972; its main campus in downtown Lonoke was built in 1991.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	659		—
1890	858		30.2%
1900	951		10.8%
1910	1,547		62.7%
1920	1,711		10.6%
1930	1,674		−2.2%
1940	1,715		2.4%
1950	1,556		−9.3%
1960	2,359		51.6%
1970	3,140		33.1%
1980	4,128		31.5%
1990	4,022		−2.6%
2000	4,287		6.6%
2010	4,245		−1.0%
2020	4,276		0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Lonoke racial composition

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	2,664	62.3%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	1,152	26.94%
Native American	8	0.19%
Asian	31	0.72%
Pacific Islander	1	0.02%
Other/Mixed	169	3.95%
Hispanic or Latino	251	5.87%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,276 people, 1,676 households, and 1,075 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 4,287 people, 1,595 households, and 1,092 families residing in the city. The population density was 990.0 inhabitants per square mile (382.2/km²). There were 1,703 housing units at an average density of 393.3 per square mile (151.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.29% White, 23.40% Black or African American, 0.77% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.98% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races. 1.84% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,595 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the living with them, 50.4% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,558, and the median income for a family was $44,423. Males had a median income of $34,315 versus $22,642 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,598. About 11.9% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 19.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Maurice Britt (1919–1995), football player, businessman, and decorated soldier; raised in Lonoke
• Ed Hamm (1906–1982), track and field athlete, gold medal winner 1928 Summer Olympics
• Jim Lee Howell (1914–1995), football player (NY Giants 1937–1947) and coach
• Paula Jones (1966–), Arkansas state employee who sued Bill Clinton for sexual harassment
• James B. Reed (1881–1935), U.S. representative from 1923 to 1929
• Joseph Taylor Robinson (1872–1937), U.S. Senate Majority leader and Al Smith's running mate
• Thomas Clark Trimble III (1878–1965), former federal judge
• Will Walls (1912–1993), American football player

See also

• List of cities and towns in Arkansas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Lonoke County, Arkansas

External links

• Lonoke, Arkansas at Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture
• Marjorie Walker McCrary Memorial Library at the Lonoke County Library System