Lonoke County, Arkansas Genealogy

Guide to Lonoke County, Arkansas ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The county was named for a "lone oak" tree that stood on the site of the present county seat and was used as a local landmark. The County Seat is Lonoke and was founded April 16, 1873. It is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Lonoke County Courthouse 3rd &amp; N Center Street PO Box 431 Lonoke, AR 72086-0431 Phone: 501.676.2368 Lonoke County Website County Clerk has marriage and probate records.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

History Timeline
Emphasis for this timeline is on events that affected migration, records, or record-keeping. Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were taken from the Lonoke County page on the website, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture.


 * 1821 - The first known white settlement was on Moss Prairie, founded by Sampson Gray from Williamson County, Tennessee.
 * 1849 August 9 - To encourage more people to settle in Brownsville, an ad was placed in the Arkansas Gazette. It read, “The site is a beautiful and elevated situation and persons wishing to make an investment in town prosperity will do well to attend this sale."
 * 1865 - As the soldiers returned home from the Civil War, they found that land, homes, and businesses had been destroyed. They began the task of rebuilding homes and businesses and getting the land ready to plant crops for the next year.
 * 1873 April 16 - Governor Elisha Baxter signed the act creating Lonoke County from the parent counties Prairie and Pulaski.
 * 2010 - Lonoke County has had a steady increase in population from its very beginning and now (2010) tops 68,300.

Guardianship

 * Probate Records 1861-1949 Lonoke County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration records 1873-1884; Administration, executor and guardian dockets 1861-1886; Executor bonds and letters 1873-1949; Guardian records 1873-1892; Probate records 1873-1891; Wills 1873-1939.

Local Histories

 * Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland, and Hot Spring Counties, Arkansas. Chicago, Nashville, and St. Louis, USA: Goodspeed Publishing, 1889. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Arkansas (1813-1925)

Civil War

 * - 2nd Regiment, Arkansas Volunteers (Confederate), Company B

'''Online Records


 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1890-1963 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1891-1939 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1901-1929 - at FamilySearch — images only

Probate Records
'''Online Probate Records
 * 1783 – 1998 Arkansas Wills and Probate Records 1783-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1817 – 1979 at FamilySearch — images
 * Probate Records 1861-1949 Lonoke County portion of the collection: : Arkansas Probate Records, 1817-1979 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Administration records 1873-1884; Administration, executor and guardian dockets 1861-1886; Executor bonds and letters 1873-1949; Guardian records 1873-1892; Probate records 1873-1891; Wills 1873-1939.

Vital Records
See also How to order Arkansas Vital Records

Marriage

 * 1779-1966 - Arkansas, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1860 - 1976 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1868 - 1921 - Lonoke County Marriage Books A-U Index 1868-1921 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1873 - 1951 - Lonoke County Marriage Books A-Z, 27-41 Index 1873-1951 in at FamilySearch - free.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Websites

 * ARGenWeb. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
 * USGenWeb Archives. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
 * RootsWeb. Free. Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
 * Linkpendium. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
 * CyndisList. Free. Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
 * - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records