Lonoke, Arkansas

Lonoke, Arkansas
FIPS code		05-41420
GNIS feature ID	0077553[2]
Major airport	LIT
Website	cityoflonoke.com

Lonoke (

.

History

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Lonoke's history begins with the advance of Union troops through Central

. 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

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

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, located at 34°47′3″N 91°54′3″W / 34.78417°N 91.90083°W / 34.78417; -91.90083 (34.784065, -91.900705).^[3]

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

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

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The city of Lonoke lacks

.

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.

Some areas of Lonoke are served by the Des Arc School District, which leads to graduation from Des Arc High School.

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[4]

2020 census

Lonoke racial composition^[5]

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%
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

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

, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 19.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Maurice Britt (1919–1995), University of Arkansas and Detroit lions football player, businessman, and decorated soldier; born in Carlisle but raised in Lonoke
• Ed Hamm (1906–1982), track and field athlete, won gold medal in long jump at 1928 Summer Olympics
• Jim Lee Howell (1914–1995), football player (Arkansas, NY Giants 1937–1947) and coach (Wagner College 1947–1953, NY Giants 1954–1960)
• Paula Jones (1966–), Arkansas state employee who sued Bill Clinton for sexual harassment
• U.S. representative from 1923 to 1929 from Arkansas' former 6th congressional district
• 1928 U.S. presidential election
• 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

References

External links

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