19th Century Archives - Lighting the Way, Historic Women of the SouthCoast

Jane Ador Major

Abolitionist Jane Ador Major (1814-1888) and her husband, the Reverend William Jackson, secretly sheltered freedom seekers along the Underground Railroad. In support of Black regiments in the Civil War, Jane founded the Eleventh Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) sewing circle circa 1860 in New Bedford.

Cordelia Vien

At the peak of her career as a local businesswoman, Cordelia Dragon Vien (1853?-1928) owned property valued at $250,000, equivalent to nearly $6.5 million today, in New Bedford’s North End.

Alice Virginia Bradford Tobey Jones

Wareham philanthropist Alice Tobey Jones (1873-1922) funded the establishment of Tobey Hospital, an institution that has played a major role in the health and well-being of Wareham and South Coast residents.

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.

Elizabeth Leonard

Philanthropist Elizabeth Leonard (1823-1901) left an insightful legacy to the town of Rochester. In 1876, she donated money for the first Rochester Free Public Library.

Sarah Rotch Arnold

Nineteenth-century New Bedford’s Sarah Rotch Arnold (1786-1860) was dedicated to her community, social reform, religious tolerance, and horticultural beauty.

Rebecca L. H. Taber

Artist, philanthropist, and anti-suffragist Rebecca L. H. Taber (1854-1940) was born in Fairhaven to whaling ship master John S. Taber and Mary Ann (Spooner) Taber.

Mary Hall Leonard

Rochester’s Mary Hall Leonard (1847-1921) graduated from Bridgewater Normal School in 1867 and was soon hired as an instructor there, where she trained students to be teachers.

Elizabeth Piper Ensley

Born in New Bedford to parents who had been enslaved, educator Elizabeth Piper Ensley (1847-1919) was an active leader in African American women’s clubs and the women’s suffrage movement in Colorado.

Elizabeth Payson Prentiss

Faith in suffering was the life theme of author Elizabeth Payson Prentiss (1818-1878). Elizabeth lived in New Bedford for over five years as a compassionate pastor’s wife who gave comfort to those in need.