Britishers brought Ooty into limelight
The Hoysala Dynasty under the reign of Vishnuvardhana ruled the Nilgiri Hills in the 12 th century. It was later a part of Tipu Sultan's Empire. Ooty or Ootacamund gain popularity under the British rule.
John Sullivan brought this hill station into limelight in 1819. Sullivan was then the governor of the neighbouring Coimbatore province. In this role, he is credited with laying down of the first route connecting Coimbatore to the Nilgiris, thus making the place accessible. Sullivan also built the first building here called the Stone House. This went onto become the headquarters of all the government offices in the area. He also conducted experiments to see what kind of crops and animals could be raised in the area. These experiments gave rise to the sprawling tea and coffee plantations that we see today. Following Sullivan, other British officers soon moved to the area and built cottages, clubs for their recreation.
Work on Ooty's famous ratchet and pinion track was started in 1891 under the directive of Lord Wenlock, Governor of Madras. The work was finally completed in 1899.
The area of the Nilgiris was made into a separate district in 1868. Till then it had been a part of the Coimbatore district.