#71 • SAnders Service Co. Ledger

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

High bid $560.00

Status: Sold

Description Offered here is an original working business ledger associated with Sanders Plumbing & Supply Co., Corbin, Kentucky. Alphabetically organized and extensively used, the volume is believed to have served primarily as a customer ledger while also functioning as a broader business reference. Throughout its pages are hundreds of handwritten names, addresses, account balances, calculations, and business notes, along with numerous references to plumbing-related products and services. The ledger also retains original invoices, correspondence, and business documents from companies including Sanders Plumbing & Supply Co., Brock-McVey Company, and other plumbing industry suppliers. Many entries appear to relate to individuals and businesses throughout Corbin and the surrounding region, while other records document purchases, account activity, and business transactions accumulated over an extended period. Affixed to the inside cover is a printed YMCA monthly operating summary, further illustrating that the volume remained an active working reference as business records were added over time. Although the exact purpose of every entry cannot be determined today, the ledger clearly represents an authentic record of the day-to-day administration of a Kentucky business and offers a fascinating glimpse into one of the lesser-known chapters associated with Colonel Harland Sanders' entrepreneurial career. Historical Significance Long before Colonel Sanders became one of the world's most recognizable restaurateurs, he pursued numerous business ventures throughout Kentucky. This ledger is associated with Sanders Plumbing & Supply Co. and documents the practical side of operating a business—maintaining accounts, tracking balances, preserving invoices, and organizing business relationships. Whether every entry represents a customer, supplier, vendor, or another type of account cannot be determined with certainty today, but together they provide a rare surviving record of the administrative work that accompanied everyday commerce in mid-century Kentucky. Unlike advertising pieces or promotional memorabilia, this ledger was never intended for public view. It survives as a genuine working document, preserving details of a business that existed behind the scenes of Colonel Sanders' remarkable entrepreneurial journey. Provenance From the Claudia Sanders Dinner House Collection. The ledger originates from the business records preserved by the Settle family, longtime friends of Colonel and Claudia Sanders and caretakers of numerous personal and business materials associated with the Sanders family. Condition Heavily used working ledger displaying expected age, wear, edge wear, soiling, and handling consistent with decades of business use. The volume remains substantially complete and includes numerous handwritten entries, original invoices, correspondence, and inserted business documents. Prospective bidders are encouraged to review all photographs and conduct their own inspection regarding completeness, condition, and overall preservation.