Holden Compton Mills (1853-1927), the son of Benjamin S. Mills (1820-1893) and Virginia F. Compton (1819-1892), spent most of his early years in St. Eleanors, Prince Edward Island. His parents married in 1849 and lived for a short time in York, Ontario where Holden was born. Benjamin farmed and milled flour. Holden assisted his father and eventually established himself as a flour and oyster dealer with an office on Water Street in nearby Summerside. By the early 1900's he was specializing in the shipment of Malpeque oysters mainly to Quebec and Ontario. He had started in the oyster industry during its peak in 1882 and survived in business throughout the decline caused by over-fishing and seabed damage and then the setback in 1915 due to "Malpeque disease". By 1922 the oyster stocks began to recover and Holden continued with his shellfish export until December 1926 when failing health forced his retirement. In the 1920's he became involved with the booming fox fur industry and was president of the Pavilion Silver Fox Company Ltd. In 1925. In 1881 he married Catherine Green (1856-1944), the eldest daughter of Harry Compton Green who served for many years as Postmaster in Summerside. Around 1898 the Mills moved into a large home designed for them by William Critchlow Harris at 168 Central Street, Summerside. They had one child who died at 1-½ years. H.C. Mills served for years as a warden in the St. Mary's Anglican Church. His obituary noted him to be "one of the outstanding figures of Summerside. . . actively identified with the business and social life of the town".