Lonoke, AR

Lonoke is a city located in Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 17,824 at the 2010 census. Lonoke is the county seat of Lonoke County and home to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

The area that now comprises Lonoke was first settled in 1820 by the family of James W. Fayette. In 1836, Fayette sold 640 acres to Asa Lovejoy for $1,000. Lovejoy named his new settlement after his home town in Massachusetts. In 1841, Lovejoy sold another 640 acres to John Suggs for $1,200. Suggs named his settlement after his home town in Tennessee. The two settlements merged and became known as Lonoke City.

In 1853, the railroad came to Lonoke City and changed everything. Businesses began to open up and people started moving into the city in droves. The population grew rapidly and by 1870 it had reached 1,500 residents. In 1880, a new courthouse was built and the city officially became known as Lonoke City-County Seat.

In 1907, a fire destroyed much of downtown Lonoke City-County Seat but it quickly rebuilt thanks to donations from businesses and citizens alike. By 1910, the population had grown to 5,000 residents and things were starting to look good for Lonoke City-County Seat! However, things would soon take a turn for the worse...

The Great Depression hit America hard and so did business in Lonoke City-County Seat . Unemployment soared and so did crime rates . Things continued to get worse until World War II brought some much needed relief . However , postwar America saw another economic crisis that greatly affected both cities and counties across America . By 1960 , unemployment rates were still high but crime rates had decreased somewhat due to stricter enforcement of laws enacted during Franklin D Roosevelt's New Deal programs . In 1970 , however , crime rates began rising again as drugs became more popular among young people . This trend has continued throughout most of modern history with periodic spikes followed by decreases due to public awareness campaigns or changes in law enforcement strategies . Today , crime rates are still high but have decreased somewhat since 2010 thanks largely to community policing initiatives put into place by local law enforcement agencies . Despite these efforts though , there is still much work that needs done if we hope to see a decrease in crime rates over time .