Portelândia

History

Before 1933 the area where Portelândia now lies was almost inhabited with a few cattle ranches. It belonged to the municipality of Jataí. In 1933 Ludugerio Martins de Souza arrived with his wife and 8 children and built a residence on the banks of the Córrego da Porteira in lands belonging to the Fazenda Flores. Here Ludugerio set up a brick kiln to sell bricks to the local ranchers. Soon Walfredo Ivo de Oliveira saw the possibilities of starting a settlement in the area and he built the first solid building as a general store to sell to the passing muleteers. He began to buy land and the settlement began to grow. It was called Córrego da Porteira, after the stream. In 1938 it became part of Mineiros. In 1948 the first school was built, followed by a church in 1954. In 1956 a highway BR-31 reached the town and lots were sold to new settlers. In 1963 Portelândia became a municipality, the name having its origin int Porteira, the name of the stream passing nearby.