The purpose of this book is to recover the iconographic memory of the municipality of Engenheiro Coelho. The importance of these buildings and surrounding places lies in the fact that they have always been connected to significant events in the life of the city: the birth of a new family member; the church and religious and folkloric festivities; wedding ceremonies and events; the school; the workplace; football matches; the airfield; the arrival of the train, etc.

Among scholars of the history of civilization, it is common to use the terms “people with history” and “people with memory.” It is precisely within this concept that this first printed photographic album is presented.

In this first edition, since this is not the main objective of the publication, we were not able to gather all documents, photos, and remarkable facts representing the establishment, evolution, and development of our city. This is only the first step in a process that requires time and social mobilization. Many of these records are still unknown or are personal and family relics kept as treasures in safes, boxes, and drawers. This first volume will likely stimulate the emergence of new collections that will be incorporated into our database, serving as a source for future publications and for the creation of the Memory Center of Engenheiro Coelho. We believe in the ongoing updating of this work with the goal of preserving memory.

THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING

In the beginning, these lands were inhabited by indigenous natives, the authentic Brazilians. Later came the Portuguese, the first immigrants. The colonization process was always driven by mercantilist economic interests. It began with the exploitation of brazilwood, followed by clay extraction and later the cultivation of sugarcane, then the search for gold and precious stones in Minas Gerais, and finally coffee cultivation. Initially, the Portuguese tried to employ indigenous people. After this failed, they brought Africans as slaves to work in all these activities.

By the mid-19th century, coffee cultivation found ideal conditions in the lands of São Paulo. However, due to a shortage of labor to sustain production growth—especially for export—a new phase of occupation began. The Brazilian government encouraged European immigration, including Germans, Belgians, Swiss, Austrians, Spanish, Italians, Japanese, and others. These immigrants contributed new knowledge and culture, coexisting with those already living there.

At the end of the 19th century, after the abolition of slavery, many Black people remained working on farms.