Before he was the Colonel, Harland Sanders sold insurance, tires, and gas before he stumbled into the fried chicken business and became a household name.
Everything about him is intimate : the salinity - white goatee , the gentleman farmer ’s duds , and the flimsy drawl that all forebode the crunch of chicken and finger - lickin ’ gravy , made from , yes , 11 herbs and spices . He ’s Harland David Sanders — better known as Colonel Sanders — and he has been suffice up comfort food from Halifax to Hanoi for decades .
Before he was the grandfatherly Colonel , though , Harland Sanders bounced around North America as a steam railway locomotive worker , an insurance policy man , and a gun station worker .
Fred Ross / Toronto Star via Getty ImagesThe story of Harland Sanders , known popularly as Colonel Sanders , is often consider that of the American Dream as he went from a farmer ’s son to a Gallus gallus king .
Fred Ross/Toronto Star via Getty ImagesThe story of Harland Sanders, known popularly as Colonel Sanders, is often considered that of the American Dream as he went from a farmer’s son to a chicken king.
This is the tale of how a farm boy became the Colonel and how a gas - station greasy spoon bloom into Kentucky Fried Chicken .
The Makings Of Colonel Sanders
Harland David Sanders was take over on September 9 , 1890 , in Henryville , Indiana , to a farm - work father and a taskmaster female parent . When his begetter snuff it and his mother go to work at a cannery , Sanders became the primary caregiver for his two young siblings at seven years sure-enough and he mastered all the homemaking acquisition before he was eight , namely , preparation and food preparation .
smoother go for no ill will for how quickly he had to grow up andthankedhis mother for soak him with the responsibility and drive that by and by served him well :
“ We knowed enough not to burn the house down — I do n’t fuck why kids are so different today . We was already firmly disciplined . Mom did n’t spare the pole if we disobeyed her . And usually we did n’t , because we knew she knew better . Whatever Mom said went . ”
Harland David Sanders at about age seven with his mother.
Harland David Sanders at about age seven with his mother .
smoother ’ mother eventually remarried and he observe himself out of the house around 12 yr former when his stepfather turned out to be nothing of the fathering sort . electric sander then resolve he had enough of shoal in seventh level . He recalled :
“ When I started class that fall , they had algebra in our arithmetical … Well , I could n’t conceive any part of it . The only thing I get out of it was thatxequaled the unnamed measure . And I recall , Oh , Lord , if we receive to wrestle with this , I ’ll just leave — I do n’t care about the unknown amount . So my schooling days terminate right there near Greenwood , Indiana , and algebra ’s what get me off . ”
TwitterA photograph of a younger Colonel Harland Sanders.
From here , Colonel Harland Sanders ’ taradiddle takes some turns . He rambled through Indiana doing farm workplace and then put out fires along the railroad in Alabama . He was often devote less than $ 15 a month with elbow room and board .
smoother lick on steamboat ferry out west and in justice court in Arkansas , he sell insurance policy , lamps , and tires , and worked as the secretary to the Indiana Chamber of Commerce . He married at 19 to Josephine King and together they had three children . He serve in the U.S. military in Cuba for a spell — though not as a colonel as that statute title has an entirely different backstory .
This go on for about 28 eld until , eventually , Sanders establish himself nerve - to - human face with his luck in Kentucky .
John Olson/ The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty ImagesColonel Harland Sanders gives Claudia a taste of the cooking in 1974.
Highways, Hijinks, And Murder In Kentucky
Harland Sanders found himself in possession of a little gasolene station in Corbin , Kentucky , just off the highway . He began sell leftover meals to athirst travelers , simple meals , like he ’d have made for his untried sibling in Indiana : country ham , string beans , okra , fluffy biscuits — and fried chicken .
electric sander ’ stop prove so lucrative , in fact , that he begin to advertise on the highway to draw in travelers in need of a home - cook meal . The eating place grow twenty-four hours by day as demand balloon — in particular for his invincible chicken .
It was around this time , too , in 1935 , when the honorary title of “ Colonel ” was bestowed upon him by Kentucky Governor Ruby Laffoon for his help to his community and entrepreneurship .
TwitterA photograph of a younger Colonel Harland Sanders .
But the success of the station drew ire from the competition : namely , Matt Stewart , who owned the nearby Standard Oil station . One day , sander caught Stewart paint over his main road billboard . Stewart apparently had hoped that by siphoning off dealings to Harland Sanders ’ post , he could damage the hereafter - Colonel ’s business . sander threatened to “ blow [ his ] goddamn head off . ”
But Stewart was n’t deterred . Colonel Sanders caught him ruby - handed again and a gunplay ensued .
One of the representatives at Sanders ’ station , Robert Gibson , caught a bullet and died . Stewart face a sentence of 18 years in prison for Gibson ’s violent execution . As for Harland Sanders , all charge were dropped after his arrest . With the other game in town permanently defer Sanders took advantage of the emptiness and business sector boom . The first bonafide Kentucky Fried Chicken dealership give in Utah in 1952 , and thus , KFC was founded .
He was soon able to fold the gas ticker entirely and open an entire 142 - seater restaurant . Here he met his 2nd wife , a unseasoned waitress in his use name Claudia . They we d in 1949 after a two - class affair which cease in his divorce from his first married woman , Josephine .
Colonel Harland Sanders may have felt he had already made it , but misfortune was just around the corner .
Harland Sanders Starts The KFC Empire
1950s America saw a myriad of changes . The post - World War II bonanza also meant an infrastructure godsend which became obvious during the Eisenhower administration with the increased mental synthesis of highways .
One such highway reduce through Harland Sanders ’ neck of the Ellen Price Wood and rerouted dealings about seven land mile away from his shoes .
thirst for business sector , Harland Sanders could n’t even sell the building at a deprivation . By this time , he ’d surmount pressure frying chicken in a force per unit area cooker which by this time was still consider a new invention — this is not to mention the 11 herbs and spices which spoke for themselves .
He present his method acting to other restauranteurs and engaged in pocket-size franchise agreements . He was often paid four cents for every chicken the restaurant manipulate and sold with his process . Emboldened by this , 66 - year - sure-enough smoother determine to hit the road : If they could n’t get business to amount to them , the Sanders determine , they ’d take themselves to the business .
“ My wife and I slept in the car many nights while we waited for a restaurant to afford so we could go into our sales agreement pitch , ” Colonel Sanders recalled . Besides , the pressure cookery method acting was sodding for mobile operation as the process not only cooked the food faster but kept it fresh .
The route to franchising was n’t short , but it was fruitful . The same main road that choke them for line of work bring Colonel Sanders a chance . Sanders would stroll into whichever restaurant he and Claudia go on upon and pitch them his chicken . If the employee were impressed , they ’d make a deal to trade some of the Colonel ’s chicken and give him a serving of the gain .
Harland Sanders dug his heels into marketing his part around this time , too . He donned the weeds of a southern plantation owner gentleman , indicative of myriad symbolization for the American South — white cotton suit and train ties . He dyed his hair and goatee clean .
He and Claudia were kept busy making arrangements with other franchises , keeping their own books , and packaging their own herb and spiciness recipes . Indeed , the Colonel never did divvy up his secret recipe so that no one could have the exact medley to sell to competition .
Instead , he and Claudia would package the renowned herbs and spices and send them to other dealership themselves . In many ways , Claudia was actually the hugger-mugger ingredient to the Colonel ’s later winner . As shesaid herself : “ While he was out sell , I was home doing the work . ”
In addition to encourage him to enfranchisement in the first place , she boxed much of the packages shipped to the franchise , wear an Antebellum outfit to match his planter ’s outfits , and she traveled throughout the world with him to inspect their myriad KFCs . She even open her own place call Claudia Sanders Dinner House .
Meanwhile , Harland Sanders was approach his golden year , but he insisted that “ employment do n’t hurt nobody — work is wonderful for you … you’ll rust out quicker ‘ n you ’ll wear out . ”
This ethic paid off . By late 1963 , the Colonel had more than 600 outlets for his chicken in America and Canada , not to refer 400 extra alien franchise .
Selling The Sizzle And Hens In The Sanders House
For Colonel Sanders , expanding his business was never just about the money . His name and his legacy were baked into the same formula as his chicken and he work hard to maintain a eminent level of timber . electric sander was even have a go at it to deny hopeful franchisees if he did n’t imagine their getup was up to snuff .
He and his married woman once drive near 2000 Roman mile to Illinois to check out out a potential location . He mused :
“ We arrive in there just after nighttime , and as soon as I bet at the daggone spot I was afraid the slip was for nothing . I got out of the car and went around to see what the back death looked like . They had a meth room access in the kitchen and I could see in , and I hump immediately I did n’t need to put the chicken inthere . So I went back to the elevator car and we come on dwelling . The possessor do n’t have it off yet today that I ever did see that spliff . ”
to boot , one KFC executive recall :
“ If you were a franchisee turn out arrant godsend but making very trivial money for the troupe … and I was a franchisee making lots of money for the party but serving windfall that was merely excellent , the Colonel would remember that you were great and I was a bum . With the Colonel , it is n’t money that counts , it ’s artistic talent . ”
He ’d see the various franchises and sample their output . If he found it lacking , he ’d treat the owner to a profanity - laced soliloquy . Once he but stated that the too - thick gravy a franchise was serving “ ai n’t fit for my dogs . ”
finally , Harland Sanders sold the business for a sort of let down $ 2 million in 1964 . It had become a bit too big to care at this point and a sales - hungry young byplay offer him some line of descent in the new company , a $ 40,000 a year salary from the business , and continued access to the franchise . The new company owner , immature businessman John Y. Brown Jr. , saw outstanding potential in the marketability of the Colonel himself .
Colonel Harland Sanders ’ folksy aura and iconic dud had sure as shooting become bigger than the chicken . The Colonel ’s appeal weigh even more than absolutely spiced , shatteringly crunchy chicken slathered in gravy that could make a boot savor full . The Colonel begin to execute the late - night talk show circuit .
But for a valet de chambre who peddled the image of a traditional family man , Colonel Sanders was more than modern when it came to the woman in his life . electric sander ’ appetence for hens , as well as fried chicken , was n’t light . theme of him making disparaging remarks and unwanted advances are n’t few and far between .
Colonel Harland Sanders ’ daughter Margaretrecordedin her memoir how even late in lifespan the Colonel was a kittenish kind . “ Suddenly , during a lull in our conversation , we heard Father say , ‘ I had sexual activity until my 83rd birthday . How long did you have sexuality ? ' ”
John Olson/ The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images / Getty ImagesColonel Harland Sanders gives Claudia a taste of the cooking in 1974 .
Perhaps his sure-enough historic period had made the Colonel feistier and more prone to perfectionism . It was n’t long before the Colonel could n’t stomach second-rater within his franchises at all anymore and when Heublein Inc. bought ought KFC , he take them to court in 1974 for tainting his repute and not holding up to his standards . He win one million in the process .
The Ongoing Story Of Colonel Sanders
Colonel Sanders died on December 16 , 1980 , at the age of 90 in Louisville , Kentucky . Having join Ronald MacDonald and Wendy among the pantheon of fast intellectual nourishment icons , his legacy — and marketing strategy — live on on .
Colonel Harland Sanders has been portray in the media by Darrell Hammond , Norm MacDonald , and more of late Reba McEntire and the current “ hot ” CGI colonel forthe Instagram - historic period .
KFC ’s direction does n’t mind stoking the public ’s wrath here ; Greg Creed , CEO of the KFC parent society Yum ! Brands > commented : “ I am actually quite glad that 20 pct detest it , because now they at least have an opinion , ” adding “ They ’re actually talking about KFC , and you may market to enjoy and hate ; you may not market to apathy . ”
As for those 11 herbs and spiciness , no one is exactly sure what they are , and for a time , the Colonel claimed the dealership had even stop using his original recipe . KFC makes a big show of keep it secret , however , and admits that :
“ In the forties , Colonel Sanders acquire the original formula chicken to be sold at his gas place diner . At the time , the formula was write above the door so anyone could have say it . But today , we go to cracking length to protect such a sacred blend of herbs and spices . In fact , the formula rank among America ’s most worthful trade secrets … slew of the great unwashed through the years have claimed to discover or figure out the secret recipe , but no one ’s ever been ripe . ”
However , Colonel Sanders nephew , Joe Ledington , used to serve box the ingredients ship to the franchises . Heallegesthat the spice blend is a very special medley of paprika , garlic salt , and the white - gold of white-hot pepper .
“ The main ingredient is white pepper , ” he confessed “ I call that the confidential element . Nobody ( in the 1950s ) know what white pepper was . Nobody knew how to use it . ” But perhaps with that secret out , everybody soon will .
From a farmers ’ boy to a degenerate - intellectual nourishment king , the highs and depression of Harland Sanders ’ life echo the post - war landscape painting of America . Replete with risky venture , wandering , romance , loser , and slap-up achiever , his biography was more a five - path meal than a to - go dissipated food .
And Colonel Sanders ’ account is for certain a finger’s breadth - lickin ’ good one .
After this look at the story of Harland Sanders , correspond out more about the wild world of fast food with the original translation ofRonald McDonaldand then read up on thebackstories of other degraded - food empires .
