Till the nineteent century, the inhabitants haed been engagit in pastoral activities. On 16 Februar 1867, the São Paulo Railwey reached Rio Grande, enablin coffee beans an timber tae be transportit tae São Paolo. As a result, the development o Rio Grande boomit, Housomeivver. it resultit in the influx o expatriates maistly frae Ingland wha establisht a new toun at Paranapiacaba an aw, a few mile awa. The railwey encouragit the development o coal minin frae 1880 an bi 1895, that o manganese an graphite extraction an as well as mineral watter. Expatriates frae Italy, Germany an Swisserland came tae wirk at Rio Grande frae 1899 onwairds.