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HENRY CLAY NEEDHAM

Henry Clay Needham, author of "My First Wild Turkey," was born
on June 8, 1851, at Percival Mills (Hardin County), Kentucky, the fourth
son of Parkman Smith and Rebecca South Needham. When he was still
a small child the family moved back to "The Old Brick," the home of
Parkman's parents, 'Timothy and Ruth Smith Needham, to run the mill
there and to help care for the parents. The house was located on Linder's
Creek in Hardin County and is the scene of this story. From his reference
to the "Companion" Henry Clay probably intended to submit his story
to the leading children's magazine of that day, "The Youth's Companion."
Henry Clay studied at home until he moved to Elizabethtown in 1871
to attend college there. He then taught schoQl, worked in Missouri, and
finally went to Kansas where he became intere~ted in coal mining. He also
worked actively with the Prohibition Party. He and Governor St. John
authored the Kansas Dry Law, which is still in effect in 1977.
It was also in Kansas that he married Lillie Florence Taylor, the
daughter of Samuel Dawson and Elizabeth Raymer Taylor. They were
married at the Taylor home in Arcadia on April 17, -1879. In 1888 the
family moved to California, settling in Newhall where Henry Clay was
superintendent of St. John's Subdivision, a prnhibition colony.
In his years in Los Angeles County, Henry Clay Needham became
well known as a leading Prohibitionist,. serving as state party chairman
a number of times. The California delegation to the national convention
carried him as their candidate for president in J 920. He was a rancher,
a real estate developer, an oil operator. For· some time he owned the
Newhall Water Company.
He died February 21, 1936 in Newhall, leaving his widow and five
children: Nellie Needham Miller, Pearl Needham Segerstrom, Russell,
Neil and Henry Parke Needham. The only surviving son in 1977 is Parke,
Commodore, U. S. Navy (Retired).
The Albert Needham mentioned in "My First Wild Turkey," was the
youngest brother of Parkman, born in Kentucky on August 31, 1823, and
died February 8, 1889. Marion, Albert's eldest son, was born in 1845 and
died in 1912.
r
Henry Clay's sisters were Louise Melvina, "Mellie," born in 1847;
Martha, "Mattie," born in 1849; Letitia, "Tish or Tishie," born in 1854;
H. CLAY NEEDHAM
and Margaret, "Maggie,'-' born in 1857.
1851 - 1936
Marjorie Segerstrom Coffill
Sonora - Fall, 1977

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