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Birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken

BIRTH OF A LEGEND KENTUCKY'S MOST FAMOUS CITIZEN Colonel Harland Sanders began the part of this life that brought him fame in a small gasoline service station on the opposite side of this highway....

BIRTH OF A LEGEND 

KENTUCKY'S 
MOST FAMOUS CITIZEN

Colonel Harland Sanders began the part of this life that brought 
him fame in a small gasoline service station on the opposite 
side of this highway. Born September 9, 1890, near Henryville, 
Indiana, he left school at twelve to support his family. He held 
a wide variety of jobs as farmhand, soldier, railroader, secretary, 
insurance salesman, and ferryboat operator until 1930 when he 
came to Corbin, moved his family into quarters behind the station 
and started pumping gasoline. This was then a main route to Florida 
from the north. Traffic slowed during the Great Depression, 
so Sanders, who enjoyed cooking, augmented his meager income 
by selling meals to tourists. His food was liked. His reputation 
grew and his career as a restaurateur began.

BIRTHPLACE OF 
KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN

In 1932 Colonel Harland Sanders bought the small restaurant 
near this site. Here he combined good cooking, hard work and 
showmanship to build regional fame for his fine food. His restaurant 
and a motel, now gone, flourished. To serve his patrons better 
Sanders constantly experimented with new recipes and cooking 
methods. Here he created, developed and perfected his world 
famous Kentucky Fried Chicken Recipe. In 1956 plans were 
announced for a Federal highway to by-pass Corbin. Threatened 
with the traffic loss, Sander, then 66, and undaunted, sold the
restaurant and started traveling America selling seasoning, and 
his recipe for fried chicken to other restaurants. Hi success 
in this effort began the world's largest commercial food service 
system and made Kentucky a household word around the world.

 

 


Submitted by: Mari Adkins and @TheRealHoarse

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