▁was ▁born ▁April ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 8 3 7 ▁in ▁Little ▁Gen ese e , ▁Al leg any ▁County , ▁New ▁York . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁el dest ▁son ▁of ▁Hir am ▁and ▁Ann ▁Col vin ▁( En nis ) ▁Will son . ▁Though ▁his ▁parents ▁addressed ▁him ▁as ▁" By ron ," ▁he ▁developed ▁a ▁dis like ▁for ▁the ▁name , ▁and ▁eventually ▁dropped ▁it ▁during ▁his ▁early ▁man hood . ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 6 , ▁his ▁father ▁loaded ▁the ▁family ▁and ▁their ▁belong ings ▁on ▁a ▁ra ft ▁and ▁flo ated ▁down ▁the ▁Al leg any ▁and ▁Ohio ▁R ivers ▁to ▁M ays ville , ▁Kentucky . ▁A ▁year ▁later , ▁the ▁family ▁moved ▁again , ▁this ▁time ▁to ▁Cov ington , ▁Kentucky , ▁where ▁they ▁lived ▁for ▁six ▁years , ▁before ▁removing ▁to ▁New ▁Alb any , ▁Indiana . ▁This ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁last ▁move ▁of ▁Hir am ▁Will son ' s ▁life . ▁He ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 9 , ▁and ▁was ▁preced ed ▁in ▁death ▁by ▁his ▁wife ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 3 . ▁ ▁Will son ' s ▁father ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁Un itar ian , ▁and ▁his ▁mother ▁was ▁a ▁Se vent h ▁Day ▁Bapt ist , ▁but ▁Force y the ▁developed ▁his ▁own ▁unique ▁belief s ▁about ▁spiritual ity . ▁He ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁living ▁could ▁communicate ▁with ▁the ▁dead , ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁medium ▁through ▁which ▁this ▁could ▁be ▁accomplished . ▁He ▁claimed ▁to