In the century XIX, Minas had its quite active economy mainly when the plantation of the coffee begin in the Zone of the Mata, main economic activity of Brazil of the time. The lavoura and the coffee stood out among other sections and they were responsible for the creation and expansion of a specialized means of transportation, being part of the first projects of a railroad in Brazil. Due to the great importance of the mining economy - and São João d’El Rey  as commercial entreposto -, he made himself necessary the establishment of the connection between the production centers and consumption.

Starting from 1850, the Brazilian middle became more favorable the such heady enterprise. The political situation of the country became stableer with the invigoration of the public order it interns and with the extinction of the slaves' traffic for the law Eusébio de Queirós, of that year, that left free many captains employees in the trade slave trader. A new one begins it was of prosperity to the country in the second half of the century, being reflected in the most varied sections of the national life, mainly in the development of the material civilization (Hardman and Leonardi, 1991, p.40-41).

Elapsed few years from the establishment of the railroad in the world, Brazil was about incorporating such important enterprise in its areas. The difficulties be she due they were many. One of the pioneer ferrovias of Brazil went to Company Highway of west Iron (Highway of Iron West of Minas), The enterprise would involve efforts and official and private capitals, with public warranties and the formation of a corporation. The implantação of the railroad was promoted, probably, for important commercial houses, farmers and subscriptions open to the population (Eugênio Machado, 1991, p.10-21).

The law mining no. 1.914 of July 19, 1872 authorized the government to grant warranty of interests up to 7% on the capital no inferior to 4 thousand réis stories or subsidy of 9 réis stories for kilometer of the highway built for the establishment of a railroad of narrow gauche that, leaving of the Railroad D. Pedro II.

To the view of the authorization of the law no. 2.398 of November 5, 1877, he became realizable the beginning of the great enterprise conceived by the bachelors Luiz Augusto de Oliveira and José de Rezende Teixeira, that, aided by people different from the city of São João d’El Rey  they organized a commission that began the works of the organization of a corporation, on February 2, 1878, under the denomination of Company Highway of Iron West of Minas. (VAZ, s/d)

The rail project implied in a not very common rational and methodical action in an agricultural society and escravista, integrating into the "winds modernizadores" of the Court and looking for to solve entraves to the regional economy. Its material impact on an area characterized by the troops of donkeys was evident.

Enabled to work, they were the statutes of the Company approved by the ordinance provincial no. 6.977 of July 20, 1878. After convenient studies, the entroncamento was seated, in the station of Ranch, with the Highway D. Pedro II, having been approved by the president of the County, under the base of gauche 0,76 cm, the whole plan of the highway to São João d’El Rey, assisting to the conditions of the zone and the reasons of economic order.

Before being initiate the construction of the first space, it was celebrated on July 4, 1879 an agreement with the Railroad D. Pedro II, represented then by yours director, engineer Francisco Pereira Passos, the remodelador of the city of Rio de Janeiro, in the sense of harmonizing the interests of the two highways. In 28 of August 1881, finished the construction of the whole space to São João d’El Rey. (VAZ, s/d)

On August 28, 1881 the rail line was inaugurated linking São João d’El Rey to Ferrovia D. Pedro II. The Company Highway of Iron West of Minas, organized by a corporation, introduced the ferrovia in the society sanjoanense. With the access to the new goods and the largest speed with than the news and novelties started to arrive, the local culture would flow with the social conviviality, the contact with outsiders, through reciprocity relationships that constituted and that would modify the daily sanjoanense.

The railroad would be the door that would open up for the wealth of the mining county and it would increase its economy, tends as objective the advancement of the agriculture, trade and national industry.
 

LEONARDI, Victor and HARDMAN, Foot. History of the industry and of the work in Brazil. Ática, 1991. 2 ed.

LOPES, Tirado Antonio. Reports; in the wings of the past.

VAZ, Múcio Jansen. Highway of Iron West of Minas - I Work Historical Descriptive. 1922.