KFC’s Colonel Sanders

KFC story began at the turn of last century, when a young boy, Harland Sanders, became an accomplished cook through ‘family necessity’. Born in 1890 in Henryville, Indiana, Sanders’ father died when he was young, leaving his mother working several jobs to provide for him and his two siblings.

He spent considerable years doing casual work and completing his service commitment as a wagoner in Cuba being awarded the Cuban Pacification Medal (Army). He was honorably discharged in February 1907.

Then, he got hired by the railway as a laborer. However, he got fired for fighting with a coworker. While he worked for the railway, he studied law--until he ruined his legal career by getting into another fight.

In 1930, Colonel Sanders purchased a service station, motel and café in Corbin, Kentucky, Kentucky.

And every Sunday night, Sanders would cook his family a delicious meal - country ham, steak and fried chicken. With travelers asking him for dining recommendations, Sanders realized the potential for extra earnings if he served hungry travelers his family’s dinner. Sanders served meals for travelers in the back of the service station at his own dining table, which seated six people. By 1937, the culinary skills of Sanders became well known and he built the Sanders Café, which seated 142 people.

Over the next ten years he tried different seasonings to flavor his chicken. In 1939, The Colonel perfected his Original Recipe chicken with his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices, pressure-cooked to seal in the finger lickin' goodness.

Sanders’ food became so well-known that Kentucky Governor Ruby Laffon gave Sanders the famed (but honorary) title of Colonel “in recognition of his contributions to the state’s cuisine.”

Business continued to boom as it was located along U.S. 25, the main north-south route through central Kentucky. He then sold the business when the town was bypassed by a highway Interstate 75.

He then travelled the United States by car, cooking chicken for restaurant owners and their employees. By the age of sixty-five the Colonel had 600 Kentucky Fried Chicken Franchise outlets dotted across the United States and Canada.

This as 1964, the year is which he sold the American business for $2 million, leading to another rags to riches story. At age 90, Sanders passed away from pneumonia. At that time, there were around 6,000 KFC locations in 48 countries.
KFC’s Colonel Sanders