What do Septima Poinsette Clark, Gertrude Legendre (Gertie), and Martha Daniell Logan all have in common? They were each groundbreaking women whose achievements broke down barriers and paved the way for others to succeed. The daughter of a former slave, Clark was a pioneer in education who valiantly fought for equal rights. A spy during World War II, Legendre was an explorer, big-game hunter, environmentalist, and owner of Medway plantation in Berkeley County. And Logan, the daughter of Daniel Island’s namesake Gov. Robert Daniell, wrote the first gardening treatise in America in the 1750s.

In honor of Women’s History Month in March, DIHS board members Lee Ann Bain and Beth Bush will spotlight these trailblazing female superstars, each with ties to Charleston. Bain, a longtime Charleston tour guide is the host of multiple walking tours of downtown Charleston, including the famous Grimke Sisters Tour. She is also president of the Charleston Tour Association and a longtime board member for DIHS. An award-winning journalist and former editor of The Daniel Island News, Bush helped found the Daniel Island Historical Society in 2011. She has been a news and features writer at The Daniel Island News since 2005.

The Daniel Island Historical Society’s monthly meetings are free and open to all. That said, membership dues are critical to sustaining our many community-wide activities and programs. For information on how to become a DIHS member, click HERE.