The first mention about Coonoor as a European settlement is seen in the first edition of Dr. Baikie’s ‘The Neilgherries’ published in 1834, here he mentions an encampment of officers and men of the Pioneer Corps, where the present day railway station now stands.When Coonoor was declared as a municipality in 1866, either on 19 Oct according to H. B. Grigg in his District Manual, or on 1 Nov as per Sir W. Francis of the Madras Gazetteer, the population doesn’t seem to have increased much. It numbered just around 1,400 odd individuals, and there appear to have been 39-42 bungalows belonging to the Europeans and about 263 native houses and shops.oonoor by this time had a post office, a third class telegraph office, a hospital, a dentist’s establishment, a day school, yet another hotel called ‘Gray’s’ in addition to Davison’s which was now called Glenview, and a transport company attached with a refreshment room. A library, a music depot, and a European general store were a few of its luxuries.