About Us

For nearly 85 years, history shows that great things can happen when you stay “community focused and community committed”.

In 1935, First State Bank opened its doors via the Reconstruction Finance Corporation with $15K in capital and 400 shares. H.E. Benton, the largest shareholder, served as President in addition to Neill Fletcher serving as Cashier. The bank had year-end deposits of $250,171.90, loans of $19,053.34 and capital of $31,349.33.

In 1989, Lonoke Bancshares Inc. was formed and over the years, we grew bigger and reached beyond our hometown roots with the acquisition of First State Bank of Gurdon on January 1, 1996 and branch openings in 1999 in Fayetteville and 2006 in Heber Springs. Today, First State Bank is $256 million in assets and continues to provide great service, protect deposits and lend prudently to the growing communities we serve by helping people build homes, finance farms, and grow their businesses.

First State Bank is a financially strong, well-capitalized and prudently managed FDIC-insured bank that customers have entrusted with their money for over eight decades. Our bank's stability and development have been sustained through a strong focus on sound, conservative banking practices and a greater level of customer service.