In 1852, a land grant for the construction of rail lines was given to the Little Rock and Memphis Railroad Company, lead by Robert Campbell Brinkley as its President. Robert C. Brinkley, born in North Carolina, lived in Memphis where he served a public career of "noble deeds and generous conduct" and for many years served as the President of Planters Bank of Memphis.

Between 1852 and 1869, the settlement was called "Lick Skillet." When the day’s work was completed, the railroad construction crew, mostly all immigrants from neighboring towns, cooked their supper over an open fire and returned to their homes when the last "skillet was licked."

The construction of the rail lines between Little Rock and Memphis brought the City of Brinkley into being. Brinkley is situated in the northern part of Monroe County, the halfway point between the two larger cities. It was laid out in the winter of 1869 on lands belonging to the railroad.

A Petition Request was granted to incorporate Brinkley on August 6, 1872, at which time the town had 50 qualified voters. The original charter was filed with the Secretary of State of Arkansas on August 21, 1872.

From its ties to the transportation industry, the City of Brinkley continues to maintain a position at the center of major transportation arteries. Brinkley is located in Monroe County in the rich relics from the past and rolling farmlands of the Arkansas Delta. The halfway point between Little Rock and Memphis, it is a convenient oasis for travelers along Interstate 40, one of the busiest interstates in the United States. The city is also located on U.S. Highway 49, providing transit north-south, and Highway 70, an additional east-west corridor.