▁W heel ▁( 1 9 4 3 ); ▁Eth an ▁Allen ▁and ▁the ▁Green ▁Mountain ▁Boys ▁( 1 9 5 6 ), ▁a ▁bi ography ▁for ▁children ; ▁and ▁The ▁He yd ay ▁of ▁Spirit ual ism ▁( 1 9 7 0 ), ▁a ▁study ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁interest ▁in ▁par aps ych ology ▁and ▁the ▁occ ult . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Brown ▁was ▁born ▁to ▁the ▁phys ician ▁Frederick ▁August us ▁Brown ▁and ▁Kath ar ine ▁Sl ater ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Web ster , ▁Massachusetts . ▁His ▁great - gre at ▁grand father , ▁business man ▁ ▁Samuel ▁Sl ater , ▁was ▁the ▁chief ▁founder ▁of ▁Web ster ▁and ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁beginning ▁the ▁industrial ▁revolution ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁with ▁the ▁opening ▁of ▁ ▁a ▁text ile ▁mill ▁in ▁P awt uck et , ▁Rh ode ▁Island ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 0 . ▁Early ▁family ▁wealth ▁disappeared ▁through ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁mis fortun es , ▁and ▁Brown ▁and ▁his ▁younger ▁sib lings , ▁Fritz , ▁Joy ce ▁and ▁K itt y , ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁relative ▁pover ty . ▁From ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 6 , ▁while ▁living ▁with ▁c ous ins ▁in ▁Boston , ▁the ▁reb elli ous ▁Brown ▁adopted ▁a ▁life ▁and ▁world ▁philosophy ▁at ▁odd s ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁his ▁parents , ▁and ▁he ▁under to ok ▁a ▁process ▁of ▁self - dis cover y ▁that ▁led ▁him ▁to ▁a ▁failed ▁en roll ment ▁at ▁Columbia ▁School ▁of ▁Journal