The parish ceded, between 1965 and 31 December 1977, lands in Norte for a LORAN station (the LORAN Station of Santa Maria), that functioned as a pole for the Atlantic and coordinated long-range navigation with the stations in Flores and Porto Santo. At its time, the complex was built and operated by French military, who built a community that included not only the operational facilities, but residences and homes for its functionaries, that included streets, sports field and green-spaces. Following its closer, security was maintained until the middle of the 1980s, when it was abandoned, scavenged by locals and left in ruins.