History of Marilia

been advancing its tracks from São Paulo to get to the town of Lácio, and in accordance with its plan, the roads that were being opened at the branch were named in alphabetical order. The next branch should have its name beginning with the letter "M." "Maratona", "Mogúncio" and "Macau" were suggested, but Vidal was not satisfied with them. So, in one of his trips to Europe by ship, as he read Tomás Antônio Gonzaga's Marília de Dirceu, he chose the name Marília from the poetry book.

The city of Marília was created with this name by State Law No. 2161 on December 22, 1926, but remained as a borough of Cafelândia. In 1928, Marília was raised to the status of municipality by State Law No. 2320 of December 24. Its anniversary is celebrated on April 4, 1929.

At first, the economy of Marília was based on the cultivation of coffee, being replaced by cotton. Cotton proffits led to the installation of the first two industries in the city (two cotttonseed oil) in the mid-1930s. With the expansion of the industrialization in São Paulo state, rail and highways were also built, thereby linking Marilia to various regions of the state of São Paulo and northern Paraná.

In the 1940s the city established itself as a development of the West Paulista, when there was a large and growing urban population.

In the 1970s, there was a new industrial cycle in the city with the installation of new industries, specially food processing and welding. With the subsequent installation of several university courses, Marília attracted more people to the region, which accelerated the development of the city as a commercial & industrial hub.

Marília today has approximately 50 food industries in the area and it is known as the "National Capital of Food Processing