Cabot, Arkansas
Encyclopedia
As of the census
of 2000, there were 15,269 people, 5,432 households, and 4,329 families residing in the city. 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.
took the lives of about 1500 Confederate
soldiers previously under Allison Nelson
who were camped in the hills surrounding Cabot and nearby Austin, Arkansas
. 428 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.
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
.
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, yet the more plausible explanation stems from a more complicated issue: the 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. There were 100 people in the building at the time, however fortunately no one was injured. 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 fire
s to have ever occurred in Cabot. The school was only about 8 years old. It was rebuilt and reopened about three years later.
Miss USA 1982, Terri Utley, was from the city of Cabot.
, slow to comply to the 1954 US Supreme Court case Brown v. Topeka Board of Education, was forcibly ordered by federal courts to immediately desegregate
the school district. This desegregation was ordered to achieve racial balances between white children and non-white children, which resulted in massive busing
of students.
The results of the court-ordered busing have been controversial. Critics claim the forced integration has destroyed the School District and any concept of "neighborhood schools": for example, black students from far east Little Rock (predominantly black), were sent to high schools in far west Little Rock (predominantly white). Supporters claim that the forced integration has fostered more diversity and better learning environments. Whatever the result, during the 1980s and 1990s Little Rock teachers repeatedly went on strike, and many residents relocated to the smaller communities around Little Rock, including Cabot, Benton
, Bryant
, Conway
, and Maumelle
. With time, new arrivals to the state chose to live in these towns (now veritable suburb
s) because, by some educational indicators, their school districts were more successful.
Cabot received many families relocating during this time period. A 'commuter culture' developed as many residents lived in Cabot, sent their children to schools in Cabot, but worked in Little Rock. The Cabot School District steadily developed into one of the richest, most populous and top-performing districts in the state.
Critics of Cabot's growth, such as the Little Rock-based newspaper Arkansas Times
, accused these residents of "white flight
": simply giving up on an integrated Little Rock school district. While Cabot (and northern Lonoke County as a whole) has historically been predominantly white, nearby towns, such as Austin, Ward
, Vilonia
, and Searcy
, also lack diversity. The resulting "whiteness" of the area (just like the Ozark Plateau or the pre-1990s Fayetteville
-Springdale
-Rogers
area) seemingly owes itself more to historical migration patterns and historical slave ownership. Currently, the Cabot School District encompasses the north end of Lonoke County. The bulk of the county's population today can be found in approximately the same area, containing the county's most populous and fourth most populous cities — Cabot and Ward, respectively — in addition to Austin, which is among Arkansas' fastest growing communities.
In recent years, Cabot has experienced rapid construction of new businesses and housing, due to its population boom. Many residents believe that this, along with a failure to add or widen roadways, is the cause of the city's traffic problems.
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 Mark Tenney 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 Performace Assessment, and the Lonoke and even Arkansas State Fair. 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 improvization, to extemporanious speaking and debate. They also participate in group events including words and music, and reader's theatre. Jane Balgavy was coached by a woman whom was coached by the lady who shaped reader's theatre in the country, and made it what it is today. The well-known coaches knew that she knew what reader's theatre truly meant; therefore, the Cabot Forensics and Debate teams is one of the best in the state.
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 recently 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.
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 15,269 people, 5,432 households, and 4,329 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
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
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.33% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.40% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.88% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.04% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.49% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.30% from two or more races. 1.87% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
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
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
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
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
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.
Prior to settlement
Before the city of Cabot existed, an 1862 typhoid epidemicEpidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
took the lives of about 1500 Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
soldiers previously under Allison Nelson
Allison Nelson
Allison Nelson was the ninth mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, as well as a brigadier general in the Confederate army during the American Civil War....
who were camped in the hills surrounding Cabot and nearby Austin, Arkansas
Austin, Arkansas
Austin is a city in Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,000+ by 2010. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. 428 poorly marked graves were exhumed in 1905 by a group of Confederate veterans and moved to a new site at Camp Nelson Confederate Cemetery
Camp Nelson Confederate Cemetery
Camp Nelson Confederate Cemetery is a historic cemetery located near Cabot in northern Lonoke County, Arkansas and is the site of Confederate military camp where 1,500 Confederate soldiers died during an epidemic during the fall of 1862....
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
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
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 the late 1870s 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
Little Rock Air Force Base
Little Rock Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Little Rock, Arkansas.-Overview:...
in nearby Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Arkansas
Jacksonville is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States, and a suburb of Little Rock. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 28,364. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area....
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
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
. Historically, Cabot lay on the Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
to Fort Smith
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
spur of the Butterfield Overland Stagecoach Route
Butterfield Overland Mail
The Butterfield Overland Mail Trail was a stagecoach route in the United States, operating from 1857 to 1861. It was a conduit for the U.S. mail from two eastern termini, Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri, meeting Fort Smith, Arkansas, and continuing through Indian Territory, New Mexico,...
.
Recent history
A devastating tornadoTornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
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
Cabot High School
Cabot High School is a public high school serving students in grades ten through twelve in Cabot, Arkansas. Cabot High School is administered by the Cabot Public School District, which covers the communities of Cabot, Austin, and Ward, as well as the rest of Northern Lonoke County...
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, yet the more plausible explanation stems from a more complicated issue: the 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. There were 100 people in the building at the time, however fortunately no one was injured. 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 fire
Structure fire
A structure fire is a fire involving the structural components of various residential buildings ranging from single-family detached homes and townhouses to apartments and tower blocks, or various commercial buildings ranging from offices to shopping malls...
s to have ever occurred in Cabot. The school was only about 8 years old. It was rebuilt and reopened about three years later.
Miss USA 1982, Terri Utley, was from the city of Cabot.
White flight
In 1982, the Little Rock School DistrictLittle Rock School District
The Little Rock School District is a school district in Little Rock, Arkansas. As of the 2009-2010 school year, the district includes 50 schools, and had an enrollment of approximately 25,000 students...
, slow to comply to the 1954 US Supreme Court case Brown v. Topeka Board of Education, was forcibly ordered by federal courts to immediately desegregate
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
the school district. This desegregation was ordered to achieve racial balances between white children and non-white children, which resulted in massive busing
Desegregation busing
Desegregation busing in the United States is the practice of assigning and transporting students to schools in such a manner as to redress prior racial segregation of schools, or to overcome the effects of residential segregation on local school demographics.In 1954, the U.S...
of students.
The results of the court-ordered busing have been controversial. Critics claim the forced integration has destroyed the School District and any concept of "neighborhood schools": for example, black students from far east Little Rock (predominantly black), were sent to high schools in far west Little Rock (predominantly white). Supporters claim that the forced integration has fostered more diversity and better learning environments. Whatever the result, during the 1980s and 1990s Little Rock teachers repeatedly went on strike, and many residents relocated to the smaller communities around Little Rock, including Cabot, Benton
Benton, Arkansas
Benton is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Arkansas, United States and a suburb of Little Rock. It was established in 1837. According to a 2006 Special Census conducted at the request of the city government, the population of the city is 27,717, ranking it as the state's 16th largest...
, Bryant
Bryant, Arkansas
Bryant is a city in Saline County, Arkansas, United States and a suburb of Little Rock. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 13,185...
, Conway
Conway, Arkansas
Conway is the county seat of Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 58,908 at the 2010 census, making Conway the seventh most populous city in Arkansas. It is a principal city of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area which had...
, and Maumelle
Maumelle, Arkansas
Maumelle is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States and a suburb of Little Rock. Founded by Jess Odom with federal assistance from the Urban Growth and New Community Development Act, it is a master-planned community....
. With time, new arrivals to the state chose to live in these towns (now veritable suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s) because, by some educational indicators, their school districts were more successful.
Cabot received many families relocating during this time period. A 'commuter culture' developed as many residents lived in Cabot, sent their children to schools in Cabot, but worked in Little Rock. The Cabot School District steadily developed into one of the richest, most populous and top-performing districts in the state.
Critics of Cabot's growth, such as the Little Rock-based newspaper Arkansas Times
Arkansas Times
Arkansas Times, a weekly alternative newspaper based in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a publication that has circulated for more than 35 years, originally as a magazine. Its current format stems from reaction to the Arkansas Democrat buyout of assets from Gannett's closure of the Arkansas Gazette in...
, accused these residents of "white flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
": simply giving up on an integrated Little Rock school district. While Cabot (and northern Lonoke County as a whole) has historically been predominantly white, nearby towns, such as Austin, Ward
Ward, Arkansas
Ward is the fourth most populous city in Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,580 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, Vilonia
Vilonia, Arkansas
Vilonia is a town in Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. Its population was 2,106 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, and Searcy
Searcy, Arkansas
Searcy is the largest city and county seat of White County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 20,663. It is the principal city of the Searcy, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of White County...
, also lack diversity. The resulting "whiteness" of the area (just like the Ozark Plateau or the pre-1990s Fayetteville
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
-Springdale
Springdale, Arkansas
As of the census of 2010, there were 69,797 people, 22,805 households, and 16,640 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 64.7% White, 0.82% Black or African American, 1.8% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 5.7% Pacific Islander, 22% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more...
-Rogers
Rogers, Arkansas
Rogers is a suburban city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 55,964. The city is located in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Area, in the northwest corner of the state.-History:...
area) seemingly owes itself more to historical migration patterns and historical slave ownership. Currently, the Cabot School District encompasses the north end of Lonoke County. The bulk of the county's population today can be found in approximately the same area, containing the county's most populous and fourth most populous cities — Cabot and Ward, respectively — in addition to Austin, which is among Arkansas' fastest growing communities.
In recent years, Cabot has experienced rapid construction of new businesses and housing, due to its population boom. Many residents believe that this, along with a failure to add or widen roadways, is the cause of the city's traffic problems.
Culture
Cabot boasts 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 WarsVeterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
post are exceptions to Cabot's legal status as part of a dry county
Dry county
A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Hundreds of dry counties exist across the United States, almost all of them in the South...
, 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 Mark Tenney 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 Performace Assessment, and the Lonoke and even Arkansas State Fair. 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 improvization, to extemporanious speaking and debate. They also participate in group events including words and music, and reader's theatre. Jane Balgavy was coached by a woman whom was coached by the lady who shaped reader's theatre in the country, and made it what it is today. The well-known coaches knew that she knew what reader's theatre truly meant; therefore, the Cabot Forensics and Debate teams is one of the best in the state.
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 recently 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
Travel Channel
The Travel Channel is a satellite and cable television channel that is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, US. It features documentaries and how-to shows related to travel and leisure around the United States and throughout the world. Programming has included shows in African animal safaris,...
, 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.
Local Television Coverage
- KETS/AETNArkansas Educational Television NetworkArkansas Educational Television Network is a state network of simulcast non-commercial educational public television station covering the state of Arkansas...
(PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
) 2 - KARKKARK-TVKARK, virtual channel 4, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Central Arkansas that is licensed to Little Rock. Owned by the Nexstar Broadcasting Group, the station is sister to MyNetworkTV affiliate KARZ-TV and the two share studios on West Capitol Avenue in Downtown Little Rock one block...
(NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
) 4 - KATVKATVKATV, channel 7, is an ABC affiliated television station serving the Little Rock television market and central Arkansas. The station is owned by Allbritton Communications Company....
(ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
) 7 - KATV-DT2 (RTNRetro Television NetworkThe Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
) 7.2 - KATV-DT3 (The Local AccuWeather ChannelThe Local AccuWeather ChannelThe Local AccuWeather Channel is a 24-hour, weather-oriented, commercially sponsored broadcast and cable television network in the United States owned and operated by AccuWeather, Inc., which is headquartered in State College, Pennsylvania....
) 7.3 - KTHVKTHVKTHV , is the CBS network affiliate television station serving the Little Rock/Pine Bluff television market and central Arkansas. The station is owned by Gannett Company, which purchased the station in 1994...
(CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
) 11 - KTHV-DT2 (THV2) 11.2
- KLRTKLRT-TVKLRT-TV, virtual channel 16 , branded as "FOX16", is the Fox-affiliated television station for Central Arkansas that is licensed to Little Rock...
(FOXFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
) 16 - KLRT-DT2 (TheCoolTVTheCoolTVTHECOOLTV is a United States over-the-air digital subchannel launched in March 2009. The network's current program schedule consists of an all-music video lineup that can be customized to meet an affiliate's preference, along with the three hours per week of E/I programming as required by the...
) 16.2 - KVTN (VTN) 25
- KKAPKKAPKKAP is a religious television station in Little Rock, Arkansas, broadcasting locally on channel 36 as an affiliate of Daystar. Founded in 2001, the station is owned by Daystar Television Network.-Digital television:...
(DaystarDaystar Television NetworkThe Daystar Television Network is an American evangelical Christian television religious broadcasting network headquartered near Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Bedford, Texas...
) 36 - KASNKASNKASN, virtual channel 38, branded as "The CW Arkansas", is an affiliate of The CW Television Network in Little Rock, Arkansas. The station is owned by Newport Television, in a duopoly with Fox affiliate KLRT . The station shares studios with KLRT that are located east of I-430 on Colonel Glenn Rd...
(The CWThe CW Television NetworkThe CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
) 38 - KASN-DT2 (The Country Network) 38.2
- KARZKARZ-TVKARZ-TV is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Central Arkansas. It is licensed to Little Rock. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 42 from a transmitter on Shinall Mountain near the Chenal Valley section of Little Rock...
(MyNetworkTVMyNetworkTVMyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
) 42
Website
- Cabot Public Schools, The home page for the Cabot Public School DistrictCabot Public School DistrictThe Cabot Public School District or Cabot Public Schools for short, is a public school district system in Lonoke County, Arkansas. The central administrative offices of its schools are located in Cabot. The district serves students in grades PreK-12 in the communities of Cabot, Austin, and Ward, as...
Cabot Public Schools: Central Administration Offices
- Superintendent: Dr. Tony Thurman
- Assistant Superintendent: Jim Dalton
- 602 North Lincoln Street - Cabot, Arkansas 72023
- Phone Number: (501) 843-3363
- Days: Monday - Friday
- Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m
Cabot School Board
- Ken Kincade: President
- Dean Martin: Vice-President
- Corey Williams: Secretary
- Fred Campbell: Member
- Wendel Msall: Member
- David Hipp: Member
- Mark Russell: Member
Junior High Schools (Grades 7-9)
- Cabot Junior High School North - 38 Spirit Drive
- Cabot Junior High School South - 38 Panther Trail
Middle Schools (Grades 5-6)
- Cabot Middle School North - 1900 North Lincoln Street
- Cabot Middle School South - 2555 Kerr Station Road
Elementary Schools (Grades PreK-4)
- Central Elementary School - 36 Pond Street
- Eastside Elementary School - 17 Bellamy Street
- Magness Creek Elementary School - 16150 Arkansas Highway 5
- Mountain Springs Elementary School - 3620 Mountain Springs Road
- Northside Elementary School - 814 West Locust Street
- Southside Elementary School - 2600 South Pine Street
- Stagecoach Elementary School - 850 South Stagecoach Road
- Ward Central Elementary School (Ward, ArkansasWard, ArkansasWard is the fourth most populous city in Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,580 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
)- 1517 Wilson Loop - Westside Elementary School - 1701 South Second Street
Neighboring Communities
- AustinAustin, ArkansasAustin is a city in Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,000+ by 2010. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area....
- WardWard, ArkansasWard is the fourth most populous city in Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,580 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
- Jacksonville (Pulaski County)Jacksonville, ArkansasJacksonville is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States, and a suburb of Little Rock. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 28,364. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area....
External links
- City of Cabot Official Website
- The Cabot Star-Herald, the locally-based weekly newspaper serving Cabot and northern Lonoke County
- Cabot on The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture's website
- VisitCabot.com
- ExperienceCabot.com
- Cabot Waterworks website
- Cabot Public Schools website
- Cabot Parks and Recreation website
- City of Austin Official Website
- City of Ward Official Website