In 1927, automotive tycoon Henry Ford decided to found a plantation town in Brazil, in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, in order to relocate his rubber production to the American continent. The land was deforested to create a Midwestern-style town shipped over from the US. But the project failed due to diseases attacking the rubber trees. Abandoned by the Americans in 1945, the town is now hoping to gain recognition for its historical heritage and revitalize its economy. Today, it has less than 2,000 inhabitants.