Lewis Sprague Mills Sr. (; 5 September 1874 – 7 March 1965) was an American educator, photographer, writer, and local politician noted for his contributions to Connecticut history and to education in Northwestern Connecticut. In November 1960 a regional high school was built in Burlington, Connecticut which was chosen to be named Lewis S. Mills High School after Mills' contributions to education in the area. Early life Mills was born into a farming family in the town of Canton, Connecticut on 5 September 1874 to Deacon Archibald Mills and Mary Loomis Mills. The family grew apples, tobacco, and hay at their farm in Canton, which was built in 1821. Although little is known about Mills' parents, his father Deacon Archibald Mills served in the American Civil War with the 22nd Connecticut Volunteer Regiment and was described as having been "frugal" and "harsh". Lewis Mills was ultimately a descendant of Ephraim Mills, who is credited with giving the town of Canton its name. In 1877 at the age of three Lewis Mills suffered an injury which caused him to wear a leg brace for the rest of his life. Due to his injury, Mills' father referred to him as "Little Lewis" in his diary. At the age of five, Mills first entered school, although at seven Mills' father began to make him work on the farm harvesting tobacco. After the age of 14, Mills' father did not allow him to continue his education and hoped that he would continue to work on the family farm. At the age of 18 Mills' mother died, although on her deathbed she was able to convince her husband that Lewis should be able to continue his education into high school. At 18, Mills enrolled in Collinsville High School with his father's newfound approval. In 1897 Mills published his first poem, and in 1901 he purchased his first camera for fifty dollars. In 1902 as Mills began taking photographs of Canton and the surrounding area, his father constructed a photography studio for him in their home. Career In 1902, Mills published his first photo; he was asked by news reporters to sneak into a railroad car in Willimantic to take a photograph of quarantined smallpox victims inside, which he did. For his photograph, Mills was paid one-hundred dollars. With the money he earned, Mills bought a more expensive camera, and went around Connecticut on a horse