The Cabot Lore Repository

Compiled from public sources only. Confidence notes are part of each entry — where the record is a gap, the gap is shown rather than filled in.

Cabot, Arkansas — Mayors roster and history milestones

Research from public web sources only (no sign-ins, no paywall bypass), compiled Oct 26, 2026.

Confidence notes are part of each entry — do not drop them when publishing.

Mayors roster

Sources per mayor

• - Willie Ray — Cabot Public Schools, 2013 Hall of Fame: "In 1958, Mr. Ray was elected to the City Council, and in 1960 was elected Mayor… Mr. Ray served 19 consecutive years as Mayor until 1979… passed away on August 19th, 1979." https://www.cabotschools.org/news/492/2013-cabot-schools-hall-of-fame — Corroborated by Encyclopedia of Arkansas (Mayor Willie Ray led recovery after the March 29, 1976 tornado): https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/
• - Joe Allman — Metroplan Portland trip, Apr 29–May 2, 1995, participant list includes "Cabot mayor Joe Allman": https://honors.uca.edu/wiki/index.php?title=Jimmy_Moses&direction=prev&oldid=4145 — Central Arkansas Water minutes, Aug 27, 2001: "Mr. Joe Allman, Mayor" among City of Cabot representatives: https://www.caw.cjrw.rocks/site/assets/files/4927/2001_minutes.pdf — Arkansas Business, "Schools Attract Thousands to Cabot" (data through end of 1995), quotes "Cabot Mayor Joe Allman": https://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/schools-attract-thousands-to-cabot/ — Former-mayor status confirmed by Cabot Parks, Allman/Bevis Sports Complex "named after former Mayor Joe Allman": https://www.cabotparks.com/Facilities/Facility/Details/Allman-Bevis-Sports-Complex-7 — End of tenure: Arkansas Business, Stumbaugh "defeated an eight-year incumbent to be elected mayor in November 2002": https://www.arkansasbusiness.com/person/mickey-stumbaugh/
• - Mickey "Stubby" Stumbaugh — Vote Smart: "He began his term Jan, 1, 2003": https://justfacts.votesmart.org/public-statement/215624/congressional-hopeful-visits-local-republicans — Arkansas Business: elected mayor Nov 2002, age 37, defeating an eight-year incumbent: https://www.arkansasbusiness.com/person/mickey-stumbaugh/ — Arkansas Leader: "Stumbaugh's four-year term in office that ended in 2006": http://arkansasleader.blogspot.com/2007/04/top-story-fbi-investigates-former-cabot.html — RocketReach work history: "2003 - 2006 Mayor of Cabot, Arkansas": https://rocketreach.co/stubby-stumbaugh-email_33535098
• - Eddie Joe Williams — Wikipedia infobox: Mayor of Cabot, Jan 1, 2007 – Jan 1, 2011, preceded by Mickey Stumbaugh, succeeded by Bill Cypert: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Joe_Williams — Talk Business: "was mayor of Cabot from 2007 through 2010": https://talkbusiness.net/2017/10/president-trump-names-cabot-senator-to-16-state-energy-compact/ — Arkansas Business (2009): Williams "has been Cabot's mayor for two-and-a-half years" (consistent with a Jan 2007 start): https://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/cabot-mayor-announces-for-bobby-glovers-senate-seat/
• - Bill Cypert — Succession via Williams infobox (above). Arkansas Legislative Audit, officials who held office during 2016: "Mayor: William A. 'Bill' Cypert": https://www.arklegaudit.gov/downloadReport.php?id=LOM101616 — Arkansas Legislative Audit, officials who held office during 2018: "Mayor: William 'Bill' Cypert": https://arklegaudit.gov/downloadReport.php?id=LOM101618 — Cabot City Council agenda, Nov 26, 2018: "Bill Cypert, Mayor": https://www.cabotar.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_11262018-59 — Familypedia snapshot (2010-census era) lists "Mayor: Bill Cypert": https://familypedia.fandom.com/wiki/Cabot,_Arkansas
• - Ken Kincade — Wikipedia, List of mayors of places in Arkansas: "Cabot — Ken Kincade — January 1, 2019" (citing cabotar.gov): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mayors_of_places_in_Arkansas — City of Cabot staff directory: "became mayor in 2019, currently serving his second term": http://cabotar.gov/m/directory/employee?eid=105 — TriArk Radio, July 30, 2026: "Kincade first won the mayor's seat in 2018 and is seeking a third term": https://www.triarkradio.com/local-news/former-cabot-mayor-state-senator-to-run-against-incumbent-in-november-election — GoodParty: Kincade, "Current term 2023 to 2026": https://goodparty.org/elections/ar/lonoke-county/cabot/position/city-executive-mayor — Arkansas Business: "has been Cabot's mayor since 2019": https://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/cabot-mayor-ken-kincade-growth-vision/

Discrepancies and cautions

• - Williams start year: An Arkansas Senate bio PDF states Williams "was elected mayor of the City of Cabot in 2003 and completed his term in December 2010": https://webftp.blr.arkansas.gov/Home/FTPDocument?path=Assembly%2F2013%2FMember+Profiles%2FSenator+Williams+-+Senate+Bio.pdf — This conflicts with Stumbaugh's documented 2003–2006 term and with every other Williams source (2007–2010). Treat the bio's 2003 claim as erroneous (likely conflating his council service); the 2007–2010 range is used here.
• - Cypert term boundaries: Only 2016 and 2018 are directly documented; 2011 and 2018 endpoints are inferred from Williams' end date (Jan 1, 2011) and Kincade's start date (Jan 1, 2019). No source found names Cypert's election years.
• - Allman start year: Only documented as mayor by Apr–May 1995. "c. 1995" is inferred from that plus the "eight-year incumbent" description ending Nov 2002.
• - Unverified lead (not counted): An obituary-archive snippet mentions a "Bailey" who "was mayor of Cabot, Jacksonville and Lonoke, at the same time" — no first name, no years. Not included in the roster: https://www.genlookups.com/ar/webbbs_config.pl/noframes/read/662

Key Cabot history milestones

• - 1862 — Camp Nelson typhoid epidemic: About 1,500 Confederate soldiers camped near Cabot/Austin died of typhoid. In 1905, 428 poorly marked graves were exhumed and moved to the Camp Nelson Confederate Cemetery in Cabot. Source: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/ — NOTE: the city's own history page gives 1907 for the reinterment, conflicting with the Encyclopedia's 1905; year unresolved, do not state either as settled.
• - 1873 — Railroad stop founded: Austin was bypassed by the Cairo & Fulton Railroad; a water and fuel stop was built on the site that became Cabot; the settlement first appeared in 1873. Source: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/
• - 1873 — Naming (disputed): Encyclopedia of Arkansas says Cabot was "likely named after railroad executive George Cabot Ward." Older Wikipedia-derived text says the settlement "is thought to have been named after a railroad surveyor." Both versions exist; the Ward version is the newer, sourced claim. Sources: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/ and https://familypedia.fandom.com/wiki/Cabot,_Arkansas
• - 1875 — First school opened by Professor G. W. Newton. Source: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/
• - 1876 — First Baptist Church founded; followed by Cabot United Methodist Church in 1881. Source: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/
• - 1885 — First newspaper, the Guard, begun by G. W. Grandberry. Source: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/
• - Sept 25, 1891 — City plat filed at the county courthouse. Source: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/
• - Nov 9, 1891 — Incorporated as the 139th city in Arkansas. Source: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/ — NOTE: sources confirm the incorporation date; "first-class city" status in 1891 was NOT verified in any source found.
• - 1893 — Two-story frame school built; by 1900 five teachers employed. Source: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/
• - 1903 — Bank of Cabot founded (later part of Centennial Bank). Source: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/
• - 1915 — Old Main brick school built; demolished 1972. Source: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/
• - 1920s — Utilities arrive: city generator electricity (6–10 p.m. daily), phone system, radio introduced 1920; city water installed 1933, replacing the downtown cistern. Source: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/
• - 1930s — Farming community: truck farmers' association formed 1938; Central Arkansas Milk Producers Association formed by local dairy farmers. Source: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/
• - 1942–1945 — Arkansas Ordnance Plant, Jacksonville: opened 1942, peak employment over 14,000 (many from Cabot); closed 1945. Cabot population rose from 741 (1940) to 1,147 (1950). Source: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/
• - 1955 — Little Rock Air Force Base activated near Jacksonville; many base families located in Cabot. Highway 67 paved and widened to four lanes by the 1960s. Source: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/
• - 1965–66 — School desegregation. Source: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/
• - Mar 29, 1976 — Tornado: afternoon tornado destroyed much of downtown, killed five, caused millions in damage. Recovery led by Mayor Willie Ray; new city hall, courtroom, library, and police station built on the debris-filled Main Street divide (City Plaza); CabotFest initiated 1978 to celebrate recovery. Sources: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/ and https://familypedia.fandom.com/wiki/Cabot,_Arkansas
• - Population series (U.S. Census): 1880: 154; 1900: 294; 1910: 441; 1920: 447; 1930: 684; 1940: 741; 1950: 1,147; 1960: 1,321; 1970: 2,903; 1980: 4,806; 1990: 8,319; 2000: 15,261; 2010: 23,776; 2020: 26,569; 2024 est.: 27,575. Sources: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabot,_Arkansas
• - Aug 10, 2006 — Cabot Junior High North fire: total loss of the ~8-year-old building; no injuries; rebuilt and reopened about three years later. Source (Wikipedia-derived): https://alchetron.com/Cabot%2C-Arkansas
• - 2009 — "Arkansas boomtown": BusinessWeek designated Cabot an "Arkansas boomtown," the state's third-fastest-growing city per capita. Source: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/
• - 1996 — Camp Nelson Confederate Cemetery added to the National Register of Historic Places. Source: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Cabot-Lonoke-County-925/

Gaps that could not be filled from public web sources

1. 1. 1891–1960 — no mayors identified. No public web source found lists Cabot's mayors from incorporation through Willie Ray's election in 1960. The local histories most likely to contain this (Polston's Bits and Pieces of Cabot History, 1988; Polston & Polston's Cabot, Arcadia, 2012) are books, not available as public web text.
2. 2. 1979–c. 1995 — no mayors identified. Between Willie Ray (served until 1979, died Aug 19, 1979) and Joe Allman (documented as mayor by Apr–May 1995), no mayor was found via public web search.
3. 3. Allman exact start year — inferred as c. 1995 (documented 1995 + eight-year tenure ending 2002); no source directly dates his first election.
4. 4. Cypert exact term dates — inferred 2011–2018 from succession; directly documented only for 2016 and 2018.
5. 5. "First-class city in 1891" — not verified; sources confirm only incorporation on Nov 9, 1891.
6. 6. Naming origin — two versions exist (George Cabot Ward vs. an unnamed railroad surveyor); neither is conclusively documented in a primary source found here.
7. 7. The brief's assumed 2011–2018 gap is CLOSED: Bill Cypert held the mayor's office throughout that period (documented 2016 and 2018, succeeding Williams and preceding Kincade).