The origin of the name "Cabanial" may come from the Occitan cabana, "little house". To date, no archive allows dating the first groupings of these small huts.
Polished stones, axes, prehistoric debris, coins, bricks, tiles, found in the fields attest to an occupation in Antiquity and even before.
The first documents (1426) show the name of "Castrum de Cabaniallo". The word "castrum" means, at that time, a fortress, a closed town.
The lands of Le Cabanial first belonged to the crown of France. Then Philippe le Bel donated the estate to the Lord of Montbrun, Pierre Duèze (1244-1326), Viscount of Caraman.
Le Cabanial therefore has its coat of arms: Azure with an anchored cross Argent, confined by four diamonds of the same.
These lands passed towards the end of the 14th century in the hands of the Rigaud family of Vaudreuil. From 1750 and until the Revolution, the estate was managed by the Lord of Montgey.
Philippe de Rigaud (1643-1725), although governor of Montreal (Canada) and all of New France, nevertheless took care of the affairs of his domain. In 1723, he made a loan of 450 pounds to the community.
One finds in the archives the following deliberation of Sieur Gilh, of March 9, 1731: "Sieur Gilh will pay on January 1, 1732, in the name of the community, the sum of one hundred pounds to Mr. Le Comte de Vaudreuille, Lord of the place, or to his established attorneys, as a deposit of the sums that this community owed him. Amounts borrowed to repair the nave of the parish church, the clock, the public square and the fountains and to buy a chest with two locks to lock up the papers of the community ".
A response to the King's declaration of November 17, 1733 mentions the assets of "the parish of the said Cabanial, diocese of Toulouse". Jean Lacaze, agent of Messire Louis Philippe de Rigaud, Lord of Cabanial, published on June 25, 1734 what the said Lord possessed: 169 arpents of arable land, near, wood, vines or roots, namely 80 arpents of arable land, 10 arpents of vines, 20 arpents of close, 35 arpents of root and 24 arpents of wood. In addition the said Lord nobly enjoys a windmill with its right of land in clod which is around, plus in the said place a castle and stately house built in stone and lime with its buildings, plus an oven to which the inhabitants are obliged to bake their bread there and if they do not come to bake their bread there are required to pay each year per capita, since the age of 7 years the quantity of 2 lumps of wheat measure canton, plus forge carrying 5 cestiers of cash wheat. More the Lordship of the said Cabanial with all justice and direct, carrying in censive 4 pounds 9 sols of silver, 2 cestiers three cartières of oats with all right of prelations that the community pays annually to the said Lord. At that time, the Lords appointed the consuls.
After the Revolution, the first elected mayors are: M Varennes, first mayor of Cabanial, ceased to fulfill his functions on 6 Messidor of year 3 of the Republic. Then, after him, were successively elected mayors: M Cocula Jean, 24 Messidor of year 3 - M Varennes, 30 Vendémiaire year 4 - M Belaval Maurice, 10 Nivôse of year 12.
It was around the Revolution that Le Cabanial was endowed with its town hall or rather its town house. It was built on the Auta gate and at the same time served as a classroom. The village square is covered with tiles at this time, but remains open.
In the 19th century, the population increased, the town prospered slowly because the means were scarce. Successive municipal councils endeavor to give primary education to his children. In order to maintain stability in the teaching team, the municipality takes the necessary measures to provide the locality with a new school house: classroom and accommodation. Attendance is fairly regular but as in all municipalities, during the time of fieldwork, absences are numerous.
There are two fairs in the year, one on May 12th and the other on October 12th. According to the ancients, these fairs enjoyed great favor, but shortly before the end of the century they were suppressed.
During the twentieth century, the population continued to decline, from 400 inhabitants at the beginning of the century to 163 in 1975. The cause must be attributed to the obvious desire of the inhabitants to go to the cities.
In 1904, the telephone was installed, it was the same year that construction of the railway line from Toulouse to Revel began. The station, on the edge of the Departmental No. 1, still exists but it has been transformed into a private dwelling. In 1946, this line was suspended.
The town is very affected by the Great War: 22 men died for France. Albert Guiraud, illuminator, donated a painting in memory of these soldiers. This painting is exhibited in the church. His son Georges Guiraud, sculptor-engraver, donated a sculpture, which leans against the hall. The full-length Republican Marianne, the sword to her left, holds a bouquet of tricolor flowers. The quote "per la patrio" attests to the attachment to the Occitan language, the mother tongue of the children of the Cabanial who died "for the country".
In 1930 a group of 9 municipalities (Le Cabanial, Faget, Albiac, Prunet…) founded the electrification union, in 1933 it provided lighting in the municipality. Water from the Montagne Noire arrived in the town in the 1960s. The origin of the name "Cabanial" may come from the Occitan cabana, "little house". To date, no archive allows dating the first groupings of these small huts.
