Santa Maria no século das luzes… elétricas: a chegada da eletricidade em Santa Maria, RS (1895-1901)

Abstract

The present study aimed to deepen the understanding of the process of introducing electrical energy in the city of Santa Maria, investigating its applications and the immediate impacts resulting from its implementation. It was highlighted that the inauguration of electrical services took place on November 15, 1898, and that the process was an important political tool used by the Republicans. The temporal scope covered the period from 1895 to 1901, encompassing the initiation of efforts to provide electricity in Santa Maria until the completion of the first major reform of the Electric Company, along with the installation of a telephone company. The research was conducted based on primary sources, specifically the newspapers "O Combatente" and "O Estado," obtained from the Collection of the Casa de Memória Edmundo Cardoso. The analysis of these sources allowed for a close monitoring of the electrification process in Santa Maria, concurrently highlighting a movement of urban modernization triggered by the Republic in Brazil and the Republican Party of Rio Grande do Sul.