Previously a sugarcane plantation, it was founded in 1886, in the municipality of Jaboatão (today Jaboatão dos Guararapes), by the Pernambuco State Government under the name of Progresso Colonial (Colonial Progress).
It was built in an area projected for the industrialisation of sugarcane grown by agriculturists in the region, under the direction of Ferreira Lima.
It later was renamed to Santa Tereza (St Theresa) and, in 1910, combined with the semi-plantation/factory Javunda and began to be administrated by Agostinho Bezerra.
In 1929, it belonged to Colonel Antônio Martins de Albuquerque. It had the capacity to process 400 tonnes of sugarcane and produce 4,000 litres of ethanol in 22 hours. It had 13 fields and small lots of land, a 40km-long railway with several locomotives and wagons. During the milling period around 150 workers were employed at the factory.
It was later sold to Antônio Martins de Albuquerque and currently belongs to his descendants.
It was one of the last factories to keep railways for clearing its sugarcane production, but like most factories, the system was deactivated and replaced by local roads.
In 1996 it reached a production level of 150,000 sacks of sugar.
Recife, 7 August 2003.
(Updated on 9 September 2009).
Translated by Peter Leamy, January 2012.
sources consulted
ANDRADE, Manuel Correia de. História das usinas de açúcar de Pernambuco. Recife: FJN. Ed. Massangana, 1989. 114 p. (República, v.1)
GONÇALVES & SILVA, O assucar e o algodão em Pernambuco. Recife: [s.n.], 1929. 90 p.
MOURA, Severino. Senhores de engenho e usineiros, a nobreza de Pernambuco. Recife: Fiam, CEHM, Sindaçúcar, 1998. 320 p. (Tempo municipal, 17).
how to quote this text
Source: GASPAR, Lúcia. Jaboatão Sugarcane Factory. Pesquisa Escolar Online, Joaquim Nabuco Foudation, Recife. Available at: <https://pesquisaescolar.fundaj.gov.br/en/>. Accessed: day month year. Exemple: 6 Aug. 2009