Musings From A Country Kitchen

Written By: Stuart Ferguson | Issue: March 2025

“The lean days for people in the mountains were early spring days—too early and too cold to start a garden, all the canned goods gone from the cellar…”

That’s Alberta Jenkins Zachary (1912-2005) of Cashiers, reminiscing in the pages of The Crossroads Chronicle in her “Country Kitchen” column for more than 20 years. A selection—charming, humble and humorous – was collected in

“Musings From Alberta’s Country Kitchen” and published in 1999 with proceeds from book sales split between the Cashiers Historical Society and the Highlands-Cashiers Hospital, because that’s the sort of woman Mrs. Zachary was.
Miss Alberta Jenkins came to High Hampton Inn in 1936 for a seasonal job after growing up in Brevard with modern conveniences at home.

I recently spoke with Cashiers history maven Ann McKee Austin, to learn what Alberta was like in person, and not just on the page.

“Alberta was the best,” Ms. Austin told me, “she was like the matriarch of Cashiers, so bright, so smart, so witty.”
During that first summer at High Hampton, Alberta was cleaning a guest cottage when Howard Zachary, the resort’s caddy master, poked his head in and told Alberta, “If you marry me, you’ll never have to do this again!”

“Little did I know” Alberta told Ann, laughing, “that he didn’t have indoor plumbing!” The sweethearts did tie
the knot and moved in with Howard’s mother.

The Zachary home was atmospheric and had a cold, clear spring flowing on the property — but didn’t have electricity or running water until World War II. Alberta lived there more than 60 years, rearing four children while Howard ran the Esso gas station (where Spinx is now).

While reading “Musings” you find that Alberta has become your neighbor, your friend, too. She has helpful hints on gardening; making do with less; and cooking, of course; all seasoned with some philosophy, whether homespun or quoted from Shakespeare, Robert Louis Stevenson or the Bible.

Ann Austin told me that Alberta would be so happy that people were still reading her book. I got it from the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library and you can too.

by Stuart Ferguson

Stuart Ferguson is a local historian, armchair traveler, and irrepressible raconteur. He reviews books for The Highland Hiker, which maintains an extensive collection of local literature.