Martha McCulloch-Williams

Born near Clarksville, Tennessee, she was originally named Susan Martha Ann Collins and later became known as Martha McCulloch-Williams. Sources agree that she built a wide-ranging literary career as an American author, poet, and essayist, and that she later moved to New York, where she wrote regularly for magazines and published short stories, serials, poetry, and essays.

Her magazine work appeared in well-known periodicals including Harper's Monthly, Harper's Bazaar, and McClure's. She also published a long list of books across different genres, from Field Farings: A Vagrant Chronicle of Earth and Sky and Next to the Ground to household and food titles such as The Capital Cook Book, Harper's Household Handbook, and Dishes & Beverages of the Old South.

That mix of literary writing and domestic expertise gave her a distinctive place in American letters. She is especially valued today for preserving regional foodways and everyday customs in a voice that feels practical, lively, and deeply rooted in Southern life.