The founding of the town of São Gonçalo of Pará is closely linked to the revolutionary revolts carried out in 1717 by miners of the Captainship of Minas Gerais.

Filipe de Freitas Mourão was a Portuguese gold prospector who worked in the Pitangui mines during the colonial period.

He was involved in revolutionary movements opposing the taxation of gold, eventually leading to his having to flee with his wife, Estefânia de Mourão Bravo.

Accompanied by slaves, he explored some land next to the Pará River, and discovered a stream with banks suitable for cultivation.

The city's economy is based on gold extraction, livestock farming, and the planting of corn, beans and sugar cane.