Marion Archives - Lighting the Way, Historic Women of the SouthCoast

Emma Hall

Emma Hall (1865?-1949) started the first Girl Scout troop in eastern Massachusetts in New Bedford in 1913, called the “Red Rose Troop.” It was the first troop nationally to welcome African American girls and the third official Girl Scout troop in the U.S.

Helena de Kay Gilder

Although she began her career as a painter, Helena de Kay Gilder (1846-1916) increasingly dedicated her considerable energy and talent to advocating for art, artists, and women, according to her own vision.

Elizabeth Taber

Known as “Marion’s Fairy Godmother,” Elizabeth Sprague Pitcher Taber (1791-1888) became the town’s most significant benefactress.

Cecil Clark Davis

Her portraits won prestigious awards, her travels included battlegrounds, and her feminism was pervasive.