Cabot, Arkansas

Cabot, Arkansas
City
Coordinates: 34°58′22″N 92°1′20″W / 34.97278°N 92.02222°WCoordinates: 34°58′22″N 92°1′20″W / 34.97278°N 92.02222°W
Country United States
State Arkansas
County Lonoke
Founded 1873
Incorporated 1891
Government
 • Mayor Bill Cypert
Area
 • City 19.2 sq mi (49.7 km2)
 • Land 19.1 sq mi (49.5 km2)
 • Water 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation 299 ft (91 m)
Population (2014 estimate)
 • City 36,320[1]
 • Density 1,101.5/sq mi (425.0/km2)
 • Metro 685,488 (Little Rock)
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code 72023
Area code(s) 501
FIPS code 05-10300
GNIS feature ID 0057487
Website www.cabotar.gov

Cabot is the largest city in Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States and a suburb of Little Rock. According to 2010 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 23,776, ranking it as the state's 20th largest city, behind Paragould.[2] It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area. Cabot has the third highest median household income in Arkansas (after Maumelle and White Hall).

History

Prior to settlement

Before the city of Cabot existed, an 1862 typhoid epidemic took the lives of about 1500 Confederate soldiers previously under Allison Nelson who were camped in the hills surrounding Cabot and nearby Austin, Arkansas. Four hundred twenty-eight poorly marked graves were exhumed in 1905 by a group of Confederate veterans and moved to a new site at Camp Nelson Confederate Cemetery located in Cabot on Rye Drive, just off Cherry Road between Campground and Mount Carmel Roads. Marble gravestones were placed over each grave and a large marble obelisk was erected to honor the dead. In 1982, a group of volunteers from Cabot began maintaining the cemetery, which had fallen into disrepair.

Early history

The city of Cabot began as a small settlement at a refueling station on the Cairo & Fulton Railroad. The settlement first appeared in 1873 and is thought to have been named after a railroad surveyor. First Baptist Church was established in 1876 and the Bank of Cabot (later merged into Centennial Bank) was founded in 1903. The city of Cabot was officially incorporated November 9, 1891 as the 139th city in Arkansas.

Cabot was often overshadowed in northern Lonoke County by the much larger city of Austin (originally named Oakland), which was briefly considered for the state capital. However, Cabot experienced growth during the 1950s and 1960s, due to its proximity to the Little Rock Air Force Base in nearby Jacksonville which opened in 1955.

Major transportation routes near/through Cabot are the railroad (currently owned by Union Pacific), the "old highway to St. Louis" (currently Arkansas Highway 367), US Highway 67/167, and Interstate 40. Historically, Cabot lay on the Memphis to Fort Smith spur of the Butterfield Overland Stagecoach Route.

Recent history

Southward view of the Cabot Mini-Mall along First Street in downtown Cabot in December 2006

A devastating tornado hit downtown Cabot during the afternoon of March 29, 1976, killing five people and destroying multiple buildings. During the rebuilding of the city, it was decided to build a new city hall, municipal courtroom, library (since relocated), and police station on the site of the debris-filled dividing point between the east and west sections of Main Street, creating City Plaza. Highway 89, which follows the same path as West Main Street in Cabot, was redirected around City Plaza along one block of Second Street, to continue its path along Pine Street just south of the Cabot High School campus.

Cabot has experienced phenomenal population growth from the 1980s to today. New housing starts, as seen by new subdivided developments, now cover the town. One reason for such growth was the aforementioned Air Force base, while another is the top-rated school district.

On August 10, 2006, Cabot Junior High School North experienced a devastating fire which was believed to have started as a small electrical fire in the library caused by a faulty light bulb. Although there were 100 people in the building at the time, there were no injuries. The building burned from 2:30 p.m. to about 9:00 p.m., and the structure was a total loss. Cabot Fire and Police Departments say that this is one of the worst structure fires to have ever occurred in Cabot. The school was only about eight years old. It was rebuilt and reopened about three years later.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.2 square miles (50 km2), of which 19.1 square miles (49 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (0.47%) is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Cabot has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[3]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1900294—
191044150.0%
19204471.4%
193068453.0%
19407418.3%
19501,14754.8%
19601,32115.2%
19702,903119.8%
19804,80665.6%
19908,31973.1%
200015,26183.4%
201023,77655.8%

As of the census[4] of 2010, there were 23,776 people, 5,432 households, and 4,329 families residing in the city. Despite the population figure cited at the top of this page, there is no other evidence that Cabot's population is anywhere near 36,000. The official U.S. census of 2010 states just over 23,700. The population density was 798.2 people per square mile (308.2/km²). There were 5,712 housing units at an average density of 298.8 per square mile (115.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.56% White, 0.33% Black or African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. 1.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,432 households out of which 47.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.7% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.3% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city the population was spread out with 31.5% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $49,389, and the median income for a family was $53,933. Males had a median income of $37,450 versus $26,209 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,020. About 5.6% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

Cabot has a movie theater and larger city library built in the late 1990s, plus a growing number of restaurants, amateur sporting venues and community organizations. It has golf courses adjoining Greystone Country Club in the city's north end, and near Rolling Hills Country Club in southeast Cabot. Both of the country clubs and the Veterans of Foreign Wars post are exceptions to Cabot's legal status as part of a dry county, which prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages elsewhere in the city. One of the city's biggest events, staged in the downtown area each October, is Cabotfest — a community fair that has grown in popularity as the city's population has swelled over the years since the tornado.

Notable events at the school district's campuses each year include a regional music student competition, a student musical theater production, and a community beauty pageant. The Cabot High School Band is currently directed by Joe Trusty and includes over 200 students. The band participates in many competitions, including the local Region VII and State competitions. The band has also recently been placed in a three-year rotation to represent the State of Arkansas in the National Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C.

The choral program at Cabot High is headed by David Willard, who has directed high school choir at Cabot for 30+ years. The choirs win awards year after year at Region Invitations, Contest, State Choral Performance Assessment, and the Lonoke and even Arkansas State Fairs. Under his direction, the choirs advance more and more each year, making it one of the best in the state of Arkansas.

The Forensics and Debate Department is run by Jane Morgan Balgavy. The program competes at tournaments around the state, in events ranging from duet improvisation, to extemporaneous speaking and debate. They also participate in group events including words and music, and reader's theatre.

The school football team won the AAA state championship in 1983 and the AAAAA state championship in 2000 under head coach Mike Malham, who was a draft pick for the Chicago Bears in 1976. In 2005, a new three story athletic complex was completed which contains an indoor practice field, weight room, and locker room, and coach offices. Also in the building is a live TV production studio in which students from Cabot Broadcasting film football games and transmit video onto the 12-foot by 12-foot jumbo tron outside.

Cabot High School has completed a remodeling process which includes a large new fine arts center, designed with the input from the directors of the band, choir, theatre, forensics, and art programs.

Adam Richman, the host of Man vs. Food on the Travel Channel, came to Cabot's Mean Pig BBQ during the Season 2 "Little Rock" episode which aired on November 25, 2009 to try the Shut-Up Juice Challenge, which involves a large smoked pulled pork sandwich topped with coleslaw and "Shut-Up Juice" - barbecue sauce mixed with a tablespoon of concentrated, undiluted habanero extract.[5]

Education

Schools

Cabot Public Schools serves students in the communities of Cabot, Austin, and Ward, as well as the rest of northern Lonoke County.

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ http://www.claritas.com/MyBestSegments/Default.jsp?ID=20&menuOption=ziplookup&pageName=ZIP%2BCode%2BLookup
  2. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Population for All Incorporated Places in Arkansas" (CSV). 2005 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. June 21, 2006. Retrieved November 16, 2006.
  3. ↑ Climate Summary for Cabot, Arkansas
  4. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  5. ↑ http://www.manvsfoodlocations.com/little-rock-arkansas.html
  6. ↑ http://mcnabbfuneralhomes.com/gregg-weston/2013/11/28/mr-larry-todd-mills/
  7. ↑ http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2013/12/03/doritos-locos-tacos-creator-dead/3852005/
  8. ↑ http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/todd_mills_dead_doritos_locos_taco_bell_millions.html

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cabot, Arkansas.