#68 • Sanders Service, Inc. Business Check Register

Part of The Colonel Sanders Artifact Collection (live auction by The Menish Group Auction & Real Estate)

High bid $1,430.00

Status: Sold

Description Offered here is the original Sanders Service, Inc. business check register and partially unused business checkbook maintained by Colonel Harland Sanders during the summer of 1956, one of the most formative periods in the history of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Issued by The First National Bank of Corbin, Kentucky, the volume chronicles the daily financial operations of Sanders' business between June 18 and September 19, 1956, as the Kentucky Fried Chicken concept was gaining momentum across the country. The register contains 57 completed check stubs, recording payments ranging from $0.75 to $5,000, while the remaining checks, numbered 58 through 501, remain unused in their original bound format. Preserved in its original black textured business binder with red cloth binding, the volume survives as a remarkably intact working business record from Colonel Sanders' Corbin headquarters. More than a financial ledger, the register provides a fascinating window into the day-to-day operation of Sanders Service, Inc. Payments document routine business expenses to banks, utility companies, fuel suppliers, wholesalers, merchants, and transportation firms that supported Sanders' expanding restaurant enterprise. Particularly significant is a September 19, 1956 transfer to "Kentucky Fried Chicken", capturing a rare contemporary reference to the business name that would soon become one of the most recognizable brands in the world. The register also records several payments to Josephine Sanders, believed to be Colonel Sanders' first wife, offering an uncommon glimpse into the intersection of Sanders' personal and business affairs during this pivotal period. Few surviving artifacts illustrate so clearly the everyday realities of operating the business behind one of the world's most enduring restaurant brands. Historical Significance By the summer of 1956, Colonel Sanders was operating from Corbin, Kentucky, where Sanders Service, Inc. managed the restaurant, motel, service station, and the rapidly expanding Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise business. This register was created not for public display, but as a practical business tool used in the ordinary course of daily operations. Unlike advertising, photographs, or promotional materials, this volume captures the business exactly as it functioned. Every payment reflects the operational decisions required to build and manage what was still a growing enterprise. The reference to Kentucky Fried Chicken within the register documents the emergence of a name that would soon become one of the world's most recognizable restaurant brands, making this an exceptional primary source from the formative years of the company. Provenance From the Colonel Sanders Collection from Blackwood Hall.  The register originates from the personal business records of Colonel Harland Sanders and was preserved by the Settle family, longtime friends of Sanders and recipients of numerous personal gifts and business materials from him. The collection has remained together through a single chain of ownership for more than fifty years. Condition Bound in its original black textured business checkbook binder with red cloth binding. The register retains 57 completed handwritten check stubs together with the original unused checks numbered 58 through 501. Displays expected age, handling, and storage wear consistent with its use as a mid-century business record. Prospective bidders are encouraged to review all photographs and conduct their own inspection regarding condition, completeness, repairs, and overall preservation