Today, many people know Colonel Sanders as the brand ambassador or face of the famous fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken, however, what is not known is that the Honorary Colonel of Kentucky found the restaurant in a station -service after trying everything. Here is the inspiring story of the man and the ‘Finger Lickin’ Good’ restaurant that will forever be synonymous with him.
the biography
Colonel Sanders was born Harland Davis Sanders, the first of three children to Margaret Ann (née Dunlevy) and Wilbur David, on December 9, 1890 in Henryville, Indiana. Sanders spent his early formative years with both parents until the loss of his father in 1895. He left his mother to care for the family, which inadvertently gave his very young Sanders the responsibility of caring for his younger brothers and sisters.
The story goes that Sanders, around the age of 7, is said to have already learned cooking skills as he had to cook for himself and his siblings while their mother worked in a tomato cannery. Around the age of 10, he found work as a farmer before moving to Greenwood, Indiana, in 1902, after his mother remarried. Sanders’ life took a turn for the worse at this time, as he and his stepfather enjoyed a tumultuous relationship that led to him dropping out of school and leaving home at age 13.
To survive, Colonel Sanders did several menial jobs that included working as a farmhand. He then moved in with his uncle, who helped him find a job as a streetcar driver. In 1906, Sanders faked his date of birth so he could enlist in the United States Army. He completed his service commitment as a charioteer in Cuba and was honorably discharged the following year. Sanders then returned to menial work; to help a blacksmith clean train ashtrays before becoming a firefighter (steam engine driver).
While working as a firefighter with theColonel Sanders of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, he studied law by taking evening correspondence courses from La Salle University Extension in Chicago, Illinois. Sanders then graduated and worked as a lawyer in Little Rock, Arkansas, for three years before his legal career came to an abrupt end following a courtroom fight between him and his customer. Sanders returned to his job as a firefighter before he could land a job selling life insurance, first with Prudential Life Insurance Company and later with Mutual Benefit Life.
Sanders next job was to establish a ferry company that operated on the Ohio River between Jefferson and Louisville. After the immediate success of the company, Sanders assumed the position of secretary at the Chamber of Commerce in Columbus, Indiana. However, he only worked for less than a year before quitting. He then sold his shares to the ferry company and invested in an acetylene lamp manufacturing company. This time around, Sanders’ investments did not pay off, forcing him to return to a sales job, this time at the Michelin Tire Company. He later ran a gas station owned by Standard Oil of Kentucky, but that station was closed following the Great Depression.
Kentucky Fried Chicken
In 1930, Colonel Sanders was able to take control of a gas station in North Corbin, Kentucky, owned by the Shell Oil Company. He put his culinary skills to good use when he started serving dishes such as chicken, country ham and steaks to customers. Sanders’ food has gained huge following in the area, however, he has had local competition from another restaurant which has hurt his growth. Sanders and his competitor, Matt Stewart, were later involved in a shooting that led to the murder of a Shell company employee. This resulted in a murder conviction for Stewart and left Sanders without competition as his popularity grew. It was during this time that Kentucky Governor Ruby Laffoon
Despite its early success, Sanders Restaurant’s business in the United States slowed in 1941 as a result of gasoline rationing due to the United States’ participation in World War II. He gave up his store and continued to work as a cafeteria manager for the government at a munitions factory in Tennessee. In 1952, Sanders took the first step in making KFC what it is today, distributing his recipe to restaurants across the United States for $0.04 per chicken sold. By the mid-1960s, KFC had branches in Mexico, Canada, and Jamaica as it was granted a patent to protect its recipe and also emblazoned, “It’s a runny finger.” After some years,
Colonel Sanders Family
Around the age of 19, Colonel Sanders marriedhis first wife, Josephine King. The couple had three children; a son, Harland David Sanders Jr., and two daughters, Margaret Sanders and Mildred Sanders Ruggles, before separating in 1947. This gave him the opportunity to marry his long-term mistress, Claudia Ledington-Price, who worked as a manager of his restaurant in 1949.