Throwback Thursday: Personal Colonel Harland Sanders collection and historic landmark to be offered in July 28 auction
Later this month, nearly 100 personal artifacts belonging to Colonel Harland Sanders will be auctioned at the historic Claudia Sanders Restaurant, the place where Colonel Sanders and his wife, Claudia, of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame, spent the final chapter of their lives together. For about 25 years, the couple lived at Blackwood Hall in Shelbyville. But this wasn’t just their home, it became something of a classroom. Franchise owners from around the world made pilgrimages to Kentucky to learn directly from the Colonel himself. Around his own dinner table, they studied his recipes, his cooking methods, his business philosophy, and his approach to hospitality. When the Sanders family sold Blackwood Hall and the Claudia Sanders Restaurant in 1974, the Settle family became the new owners. They carefully preserved the Colonel’s personal belongings for more than half a century, creating one of the most complete collections of Sanders memorabilia ever assembled; not by a collector.
Among the treasures heading to auction are handwritten recipes, personal letters, clothing, business records, family photographs, restaurant training materials, Kentucky Colonel certificates, and even Colonel Sanders’ own engraved pressure cooker. One especially fascinating item is his personal daily planner from 1964. Decades after it was written, one page from that planner unexpectedly became the focus of international headlines.
Like Bowling Green native Duncan Hines, the Colonel was more than the face on a chicken bucket. He was born in Indiana in 1890, 10 years after Duncan was born here. Sanders worked dozens of jobs before finding success. Duncan was 56 when he published his first travel guide. The Colonel famously franchised his secret recipe in his 60s after his roadside restaurant closed because of a new interstate highway. His determination transformed a small Kentucky restaurant into one of the world’s most recognizable brands.
Sealed bids will also be accepted for the purchase of the Claudia Sanders restaurant itself, a landmark that once served as the headquarters of KFC before the company was sold. It’s a rare opportunity for someone to become the next steward of one of Kentucky’s most iconic pieces of culinary history. Whether you’re a collector, a history enthusiast, or simply someone who appreciates a great Kentucky success story, this auction coming July 28 is a reminder that behind every famous brand is a person whose life helped shape it. Maybe we can connect the Colonel with Duncan Hines and do something special in Duncan Hines Days years to come.
