The new signage and orginal home of KFC is looking great

I am anxious to see the inside of the renovated home of Kentucky Fried Chicken in north Corbin. The outside looks great.

Don Estep is publisher of the News Journal.

Of course because of COVID-19 it could be a while before a grand opening happens. Nothing has been announced yet.

I have taken enough trips on tour buses to know that this location should be a prime stopping place. The parking lot is marked for bus parking.

Once this virus has been conquered and it is safe to travel people will be anxious to get on the road and go somewhere. I know I am. You can anticipate that the local KFC will vastly increase its business. With the new signage directing visitors to downtown Corbin more visitors will be coming here too.

The new wayfinding signage that has been placed there and at other locations in Corbin is fantastic. Among other places the signs direct visitors to downtown, Sanders Park, the McBurney Center, and the tourism welcome center. I commend the Corbin Tourism Commission and the City of Corbin for their efforts to make the signage possible.

There are varying opinions about Colonel Harland Sanders locally. Some only remember him as being short tempered and full of swearing.

That was true in part of his life, but if you research the entire history of the man you’ll find that he became a philanthropist and very religious. There is a wealth of information on You Tube about him.

Regardless of one’s opinion about the man, his popularity has greatly benefitted Corbin and perhaps the best is yet to come.

One story I read about him goes something like this. He was headed out to Australia to a therapist who could help relieve him of his cursing.

On the way he stopped in Utah and and demonstrated how he cooked chicken to a friend.

On his way back from Australia he stopped there again and his friend had a sign on his restaurant that read Kentucky Fried Chicken. When he asked about the name the friend said since he got the recipe from a man in Kentucky he named it after him. Thus, it was the first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. There are several venues you can view the pictures of the place.

But here is where it all began and the orginal home has been spruced up to be a big tourist attraction.

Oh, by the way, later in life the Colonel did conquer his bad habit of cursing.