Stories of Paraná - The foundation of Londrina

Stories of Paraná - The foundation of Londrina

The foundation of Londrina
Olympio Luiz Westphalen

The Company Lands North of Paraná, a subsidiary of 'Tarana Plantations ", London, after the State Government to acquire approximately 515,000 acres of land in the northern region of the state and have found the great fertility of land called purple, decided to start a colonization process, with a plan to sell small batches rural, urban centers with support, implementing a system that would become the most successful land reform ever made in Brazil.
After a first visit to the region, the directors of Company, Arthur Thomas and William Reid, was organized in Ourimbah an expedition that aimed to begin the process of settlement, under leadership of the young (20 years old) official George Craig Smith.

Leaving, on a truck, at dawn on August 20, 1929, passed by the caravan pioneer Cambard and afternoon of the same day came Jatahy (Jataizinho), crossing three rivers: Ash, oranges and Congonhas.
In Jatahy, Cia had built two large ranches palm for housing and office support.
Jatahy is on the river and Tibagy remaining 22 km to reach the land of Cia co-lonizadora.
Were acquired pack mules and riding, and rented canoes to cross the river, and at dawn on August 21, 1929, the caravan departed for the final push. The crossing was difficult and the journey was slow, picadão through the middle of the closed forest.
After many hours on the afternoon of the same day, the Russian engineer Dr. Alexander Rasgulaeff, consulting their maps, said: "We arrived at the border of the land of the Company." Soon after the Portuguese Alberto Loureiro, contractor hired by the Company, gathered his workers to open a small clearing in the dense forest, where they built two huts of palm, existing in large quantities, which were the first two homes of the future city, located where Today's facilities are Gessi Lever (formerly Anderson Clayton). There is no suitable memorial.
Besides those mentioned, part of that caravan pioneer Joaquim Benedito Barbosa, spartaco Bambi, Erwin Froelich, Geraldo Pereira Maia and some laborers.
Would be twelve.
Thus, on August 21, 1929, the Company was founded Londrina Land North of Paraná. His first name was Heritage Tres Bocas. The foundation was consolidated with the construction of the Hotel Campestre, for housing of employees, and the home of engineer Alexandre Ragulaeff, author of the first urban layout of the city. The settlement progressed rapidly and December 10, 1934 was installed in Londrina.

Olympio Luiz Westphalen, director of the Historical Museum of Londrina "Don Carlos Weiss," State University of Londrina


Source: Stories of Paraná, Brasil.