Colonel Harland David Sanders: Henryville’s Legend

Harland David Sanders, better known to most these days as Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (now KFC), had a long and colorful life. He also has ties to Southern Indiana: he was born in Henryville.

He held down a number of different professions in life before becoming the king of fried chicken and being named a Kentucky Colonel – in fact, he didn’t start selling his signature chicken until he became a gas station owner in Corbin, Kentucky, around age 40.

From there, he began to franchise stores and later donned his signature white suit and string tie to promote his brand. He became a cultural icon thanks to his relentless public appearances and television commercials. It was a long and fascinating journey that lasted until his passing at age 90.

Early Life

Born September 9, 1890, Sanders found himself working to take care of his siblings at an early age thanks to the untimely death of his father. His mother was left to work the 80-acre family farm in Henryville on her own.

By age 13, he had dropped out of school to take a job on another nearby farm, where he also would live for three years before joining the U.S. Army. Following an honorable discharge in 1907, the young Sanders went to Kentucky to find work – and find it, he did.

Over the next few years, he worked as a firefighter and also did railroad work while studying law at night, ultimately choosing to practice law for several years. However, now married, Sanders would soon embark on a very different endeavor.

Kentucky Fried Chicken is Born

It was 1930 when Sanders opened a small eatery, Sanders Café, in a space attached to a Shell Oil Company gas station. Known for serving Southern-style comfort food, it was here where the future Kentucky Colonel would begin serving the fried chicken that would change his destiny.

After being named a Colonel in honor of his rising chicken business, his café was mentioned in a travel article written by food critic Duncan Hines (yes, that Duncan Hines), which brought Sanders’s restaurant national attention.

Within the decade, the 50-year-old Sanders had developed his signature recipe of 11 herbs and spices, and his method of using a pressure cooker instead of a pan for frying chicken. Why a pressure cooker? Because not only was it a more expedient method, but he found the meat inside remained more tender and juicy.

Business began to slip following World War II, and even worse, Interstate 75 opened in the 1950s, which made it more difficult for travelers to happen upon the Shell station. So, in 1952, he franchised his so-called “secret recipe” for the very first time. With that, Kentucky Fried Chicken, now known as KFC, was officially born.

A Sanders Legend

One legendary story during the time when Sanders was growing his chicken business is that the Colonel shot a man over a dispute. Historian Andrew Miller wrote on Medium.com that Sanders was not just famous for his chicken, but also for his hot temper.

Apparently, he lost his railroad job after a dispute with a co-worker, and his law practice fell apart after a fistfight with a client – while in court, no less. In the early 1930s, Sanders had painted signs on area barns to help direct travelers to his business. He painted one such sign on a concrete wall, and a rival business owner named Matt Stewart took exception to it, as it directed passersby away from his own gas station. So, he painted over Sanders’s sign.

According to Mental Floss, Sanders and two associates ultimately went to confront Stewart. Words – possibly quite a few containing four letters – were exchanged, guns were drawn, and after one of Sanders’s associates, John Gibson, was shot, Sanders grabbed Gibson’s gun and shot Stewart. Stewart didn’t die, although Gibson did. Sanders was not charged, as it was deemed he shot in self-defense.

Still, it’s evidence that Sanders’s reputation for having a bad temper, at least in his early years, was accurate.

The Colonel Years

Most people remember Colonel Sanders as the kindly old gentleman in his white suit and string tie, and that was by design. By 1964, once his Kentucky Fried Chicken empire was up and running, and with more and more franchises opening all over the world, he sold the company for $2 million. Then, he took to the road to promote the brand.

Now a brand ambassador in his 70s, Sanders made public appearances relentlessly, greeting fans, signing autographs and just generally being in character. He gradually became an internationally-recognized, fast-food celebrity. He and second wife Claudia also opened their own restaurant in 1968 in Shelbyville, Kentucky, called Claudia Sanders Dinner House. It is still in operation, and yes, it does serve fried chicken.

By the time Harland Sanders died in 1980, there were some 6,000 KFC franchises across 48 different countries worldwide. Today, his memory is kept alive by the brand by having celebrities such as Jason Alexander, Jim Gaffigan, Rob Lowe, Jack Harlow and others dress as the Colonel and appear in commercials touting the products.

Historic SoIN and America 250

Sanders is honored in his hometown of Henryville with a historical marker just off of Interstate 65. The marker is now part of Historic SoIN: Red, White and Billie, a new digital passport from SoIN Tourism guiding people to historic sites of significance in Clark and Floyd counties. Sign up for free today to explore and win exclusive prizes!

Check out our America 250 page for more details on the passport and related events happening in SoIN.