They reflect some of the economic history of Rio Grande do Norte, Today they are only a souvenir of a period of the Brazil Imperial Empire, whose economy was based on the strong culture of the sugar cane and on the production of its mills. And the city of São Jose de Mipibú was one of the leader in the sector, with 35 mills functioning, in the year of 1845, and its gentlemen and the hands of enslaved workers. Today, names such as Boa Vista, Lagoa do Fumo (that belonged to the Baron of Mipibú), ), Pituba, da Bica, Mipibú, Santo Antônio e Beleza, are only vestiges of the past. But the mill Olho D'Água remains producing, but it had that to diversify its activities.

São Jose de Mipibú, with its proximity with Natal, is becoming a sleeping city. But there you can discover rural (cultural) tourism, with the old farm houses with their mills, an invitation so that the tourist can learn the past and can enjoy of the climate of the fields, located only 30 kilometers from the coast.

The decay of São Jose de Mipibú, politically and economically, started with the Second War. Many people left the city to go to work on the Base of the Americans, in Parnamirim and, when the war finished, those who didn't stay in Parnamirim or went to live in Natal, came back and couldn't find jobs. The American presence also contributed to deprive of characteristics the city. Those whose houses were in the colonial style and after learning the new line of imported architectural from the United States, made reforms in the façade of their houses and contributed to deprive of colonial characteristics of the city.

To complete the story, the presence of the Usina Estivas, in 1950, caused many producers of sugar cane that were left to become small producers of sugar cane supplying the large plant. And more unemployment. The last and definitive action against the economy of São Jose de Mipibú was the deactivation of their train station, symbol of its power. In political terms, the city also was weakened and nobody complained when new cities were created from its territory, losing their beautiful tourist lagoon of Bonfim, the coast and a great number of other lagoons.

Today, São Jose de Mipibú hopes to recoup the lost time. It wants to prepare itself for a future with tourism, with the attraction its past. It has plans for urbanization of the landscape of the city and transformation of the old mills into charming pousadas.

It is one of the two oldest cities of the interior of Rio Grande do Norte. The population was initiated in the first years of the 17th century (Century XVII), with the arrival of a Jesuit mission in 1607. It was transformed into the (Village) Vila São José do Rio Grande in 1762, and became a city on the 16th of October, 1845. The origin of the Mipibú name is in the language of the indians potiguares, that inhabited the edges of the rivers and lagoons of the region. Mopebu means what emerges, for account of the sources and springs of water. The photos show the mill Olho D Água (great house, warehouses, mill), Lagoa do Fumo (chapel and the façade of the mill house), Boa Vista (mill and house), Santo Antonio do Dedo (only the great house) and Mipibú (only the ruins of the mill and the great house).