Solan is named as Mashroom city of India.
This district is the most industrial advanced district in the state which generated employment to about forty thousand persons.
Oldest military posts were stationed in this district.
To menoeuvre their military surveillance, the British retained the strategic places such as Kasauli, Dagshai, Sabathu and Solan as military posts where troops were stationed so that these could be rushed to inner areas as and when needed.
Kasauli and Sabathu posts later attained the status of Cantonment Board.
Dyer Meakins (now Mohan Meakins) Brewery was established in Solan in 1855. It has a distriliry branch at Kasauli. Setting up of other various units after attaining the status of district in 1972 have drawn many persons in employment and has boosted the economy of the district.
The only Agriculture College of Himachal Pradesh was started functioning at Solan in the year 1963. The college was then affiliated to the Punjab Agricultural University. It later affiliated to Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University and upgraded to a campus.
In early eighties, the horticulture and forestry stream was bifurcated from agriculture and animal sciences and Agricultural University was shifted to Palampur. Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry was started functioning in the district from 1985 and is intended to teach the under-graduates, post graduates and specialists in the field of horticulture and forest sciences. This university is the first of its kind not in the country but also in Asia. The state is going to benefit a lot with the expansion of the activities of this University.
Solan, the district headquarters, remained the headquarter of Punjab University after the independence of India till it shifted to Chandigarh in late fifties.
Three decades ago, there was only J.B.T. training school at Solan in Himachal Pradesh.
The Central State Library existed since June, 1959 is also located in Solan town.
Moreover Central Research Institute is working for production of anti rabbies medicines and injections at Kasauli.
A reputed T.B. Sanatorium of its kind was functioning at Mandhodhar which was later shifted to Dharmpur.
The history of the popular uprising Dhami Andolan was started under the aegis of Praja Mandal leaded by Pandit Sita Ram ji, in which one Durga of village Mandya was shot dead by bullet firing by the army of erstwhile state on 16th July, 1939.