TEA GARDENS - Vagamon is a tea county amidst the wide canvas of tea gardens. Its modern saga opens with the advent of European planters in the late 19 th century. Henry Baker, the English missionary, pioneered the plantation industry in Vagamon and the surrounding hill areas. Twiford founded by clearing Vembanad region was the first coffee plantation while Peshwarest established at Kavakkulam was the first tea plantation. Walter Bencan and Company established the first tea garden at Vagamon over an area of 534 acres in 1926. Then came the Kottamala estate on the nearby 224 acres in 1927 followed by Chinnar estate developed by the Thalayar Tea Company.