From humble beginnings in 1873 as a water stop on the Cairo and Fulton Railroad, Cabot is now the largest city in Lonoke County.
Incorporated on November 9, 1891, Cabot had a dark history before its current incarnation—before the city existed, a typhoid epidemic left over 1500 Confederate soldiers dead and buried in poorly-marked graves, and the infamous Trail of Tears also passed through the town. But where there was tragedy, there was also success from the Butterfield Overland Express and the Southwest Trail. Despite its rich history, Cabot was often overshadowed by its larger neighbors, but the construction of the Little Rock Air Force Base in nearby Jacksonville saw the population of Cabot explode. In 1976, the city was devastated by a killer tornado that destroyed much of the old business district. Since its recovery from the storm, the city has experienced steady growth as a bedroom community to Little Rock and has been designated as an Arkansas boomtown.