Guarulhos - History

History

Guarulhos was founded on December 8, 1560 by the Jesuit priest Manuel de Paiva and entitled Nossa Senhora da Conceição. Its origin is linked to five other small villages that were in charge of defending the boundaries of São Paulo de Piratininga Village against the Tamoios, a wild tribe of Indians that lived in that region.

In the 16th Century, Guarulhos was a strategic location: bordered the future São Paulo’s Capital and surrounded by the rivers Tietê (south), and Cabuçu (east). On that same period was established, for similar purposes, São Miguel Village, called nowadays São Miguel Paulista District.

In 1880, Guarulhos was emancipated from São Paulo and named Nossa Senhora da Conceição dos Guarulhos. Its current name, Guarulhos was adopted later, after the enactment of the law # 1.021, on November 6, 1906.

The early twentieth century the City was remarked by the settlement of railroads and the power electricity system (Light & Power C.O.), by numerous requests for the implantation of a telephone System, industrial buildings permits, by commercial activities and public transportation.

During the 30’s the city witnessed the actions of the Federal Intervention, and the Constitutional Movement (Reflections of the Revolution that marked the end of the "Old Republic" during the 30’s in Brazil).

In 1940 the Monteiro Lobato Municipal Library is founded, in 1941 the first Health Center of the city, and ten years after that the Holy House of Mercy of Guarulhos is established. On that decade arrive in the municipality Industries from different sectors: electricity; metallurgy; plastics; food; rubber; footwear; vehicles; clocks and leather.

In 1945 the São Paulo’s Air Base (BASP) was transferred from the Campo de Marte, a little airport in São Paulo, to Cumbica neighborhood in Guarulhos.

In 1958 the Rotary Club establishes a branch in the city.

In 1963 The Commercial & Industrial Association of Guarulhos is founded, nowadays the institution is called Commerce & Business Association of Guarulhos (Associação Comercial e Empresarial de Guarulhos- ACE).

With the big boom of the Industrial sector, a large number of manpower was drawn. This new population settled themselves in urban area on a continuous process of land occupation. At this rate the population grew from 35,000 in 1950 to 101,000 in 1960, from 237,000 in 1970 to 532,726 in 1980. Most of these citizens devoted themselves to Industrial activities in Guarulhos (that hosts around 2,000 establishments), and São Paulo.

In 1985 the Cumbica Airport is opened. Today it is called “International Airport of São Paulo-Guarulhos Governor André Franco Montoro” (Aeroporto Internacional de São Paulo-Guarulhos Governador André Franco Montoro), the 2nd biggest Airport in Latin America.

Between 2000 and 2006 its population grew three times as much as São Paulo State. According to IBGE, Guarulhos is the second most populous city in the State after São Paulo Capital. Most of its population is economically active and evenly distributed in terms of gender.

Currently the City Council of Guarulhos has 34 aldermen.