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HENRY OVERTON BURTON


 

(Translate loosely from Portuguese using google translate)  
 

History of the City of Abundance

By RENATO RIBEIRO PALMA                                                                                                                                                    Monday November 27, 2017

Henry Overton Burton

The presence of Henrique Overton Burton in plenty, without a doubt, can be considered as a historical fact that cannot be annotated, because he is not a citizen, whose life from his homeland, in North America, and until it ended in Botucasttu, of fact that makes up the history of the U.S. and Brazil.  

It was he, although a Protestant, squared the ancient chapel of Matrix Place and adjacent streets based upon the city of Washington D.C. (USA) where in the city center would be a row of narrower squares where the public buildings are intermediated with squares and on the margins of Ribeira Fatura, a large public park.  But due to a misunderstanding between the public authorities and the Dona Das Terra Church, the project stayed half done. (which is why the blocks that make up the city center are narrower than the other blocks).  This figure is already somewhat legendary in the history of the exploitation of West Paulista, who participated in the American Session War on the side of the Confederates, and immigrated to Brazil with numerous south companions.

For the rest of the story

See Burton family page

He was a partner of the Mirante Da Serra Farm and provided workers for the opening of the first street and construction of the old chapel.

Many workers, and with a culture superior to the inhabitants of the place, he was selfless.

I understand a little everything and lived advice to friends on every and any matter.  On May 3, 1880, Joao Pereira, owner of Fazenda Marante Da Serra, makes an agricultural partnership agreement with Henrique Burton, to deal with 500 thousand feet of coffee, for the term of 4 years, according to a deed discovered by Mr. Constantino Leman in Piraju Paz Registry.  He was also the owner of a part of the land in Fazenda Pinheirinho purchased from Antonio Francisco Do Prado and then sold to Antonio Ribeiro Da Fonseca.  He built a dwelling house on the current Rua Barao Do Rio Branco corner with Rua Mario Monteiro De Fraca, where the Cybelar shop and Fartura Hotel stand today. ​

​On September 15, 1887, the same house with Manoel Jose Vianna changed for land in Fazend Boqueirao Dos 3 Saltos.  On March 25, 1889, he purchased Joao Da Silva Leitte, 25 Alqueires of land on the Fazenda Veado for 780$000 (seventy hundred and eighty thousand Reis), and on August 17, 1890, from Manoel Joao De Oliveira, 10 Alqueires in the same farm deer for 500$000.  These 3 purchases included attached land and he started the formation of a coffee (plantation).

Shortly after, on July 23, 1891, sold this site named “Rest of the Arrabaldes” with 15 thousand feet of coffee from 1 to 2 years for 10,000$000 (Ten contes de Reis) to Henrique Jose De Godoy.

At that time, foreigners voted and actively participated in the life of the communities.  Henrique Burton received his title of the voter in the bill on the 6th of the 9th (September) of 1890.

Between 1891 and 1892 he moved to Piraju, where we will find him as an Alderman.  On September 29, 1892, in Piraju, he had a house in the city and a farm in the outskirts, where he built a South (Southern) American-style house.​

On December 1, 1893, he resigned from the position of Alderman in Piraju, declaring that he would return to his homeland, but he did not return, as we will see ahead.

Who was Henrique Burton?  How did he end in these outer lands?  This for many years has intrigued those who are studying the History of Plenty, but it seems that now the truth is known.​

In the book “O Soldier Rest” edited in 1967, authorized by Judith MacKnight, The History of South American veterans who, after the losses in the Civil War of 1861/65, immigrated to Brazil.  To Sao Paulo came two groups; one to Iguape and the other to Santa Barbara Do Oeste, in the place where today the city of Americana was founded by them.

In 1866, he came from the United States to Iguape.  Henry Overton Burton was from Cuthbert, Georgia.  A veteran of the Civil War, single and he was 21 years old.  With the dissolution of the Iguape colony, Henry Burton moved to Santa Barbara, where he married his compatriot Elizabeth Pyles.  Manufacturing of cigars.

​The price of cigars made in Capivari was down a lot and the smoking plantation was abandoned, then moved to Piraju, where it was found as described.  From Piraju, he returned again to Botucatu, where he was a surveyor.

Came to die on 05/26/1899.  Having no children, Dona Elizabeth returned to Santa Barbara, where she went to reside with her parents until her death.

​In His Tomb in Botucatu, it is read

“In Memory of Henry O. Burton – Born 16th October 1845

At/Cuthbert – Georgia – USA – Died 26th May 1899”

On one occasion, Burton was told that its land in the patrimonio De Fartura was being used by the pollical chief of the locality for construction.

Soon, he resolved to determine the complaint and see that it was the procedure.  It was Sunday almost all the population was attending the mass at the Matrix Church of the village, including the political chief.  Burton rushed there on his mule.  The meeting was in front of the church and practically the entire village was presented with the typical scene from a western movie.  Major Burton interpreted the “Boss”, distinguishing that he was not allowed that a community leader would skip the rights of a citizen, practicing such violence, the ato-said – It pictured a retrograded mentality and a locality subject to such leadership would not have conditions to progress.  That’s why he made a matter of notifying everyone that he would settle his business and move there.  ​

​The people listened to everything in absolute silence.  The pollical chief (whose name is not mentioned) takes himself by brios and declare, in tom of the oratory, that he was not as late as the North American said because he was using the land together with his, with the sole intention of building what we planned previously, what represented progress for the site.  He said more looking at the assistance: “After all, I am also an experienced and traveled man, because it hasn’t been very much I was even in Rio Grande Do Sul”

And Major Burton went out with this amazing response:  Good Sir, Do you see the cell beast I’m holding?  Then well, she also just arrived from Rio Grande Do Sul but is still a beast.​​

Burton fulfill his promise and was always a lot.

It is believed that the invoice cemetery was secular and not canonical because of it was Protestant

 
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