Ooty or Ootacamund was originally a tribal land occupied by the Todas and other tribes. The Todas then handed over that part of the town to John Sullivan, the then Governor of Coimbatore. He later developed the town, and encouraged the establishment of tea, chinchona, and teak trees. Ooty served as the summer capital of the Madras Presidency and other small kingdoms, much visited by British during the colonial days, and as today, a popular summer and weekend resort. Soldiers were also sent here and to nearby Wellington (The home of the Madras regiment to this day) to recuperate. Some of the main sights in Ooty are the heritage buildings, churches, the botanical garden, the lake and the heritage Nilgiri Mountain railway.