Squire Edward Little, called the father of Auburn and Lewiston, inherited vast tracts of land from his father and in 1826, at age 53, moved to Danville, now Auburn, where he built what his father called an extravagant house. He envisioned controlling the river's energy to power a local industrial revolution, and the house became a meeting hall for those planning bridges, canals, dams, mills, railroads, and the Congregational Church while overlooking the river's untapped resources. Edward Little donated the land and half the money to build the first church, established and endowed Lewiston Falls Academy, now Edward Little High School, and helped plan, finance, and build the canal systems that powered the mills.