Public previews Col. Sanders' personal artifacts before Tuesday's auction in Shelbyville

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The public was able to preview Col. Harland Sanders' collection of personal artifacts Monday that will be auctioned off in Shelbyville this week.

The personal collection was preserved by the Settle family after they purchased both Blackwood Hall and the Claudia Sanders Dinner House in Shelbyville in 1974. Some of the artifacts up for auction are Sanders' personal working planner, handwritten recipes, letters and correspondence from U.S. presidents and his signature bow tie.

"There is a lot to digest here," said Jonathan Klunk, a realtor helping organize the auction. "So this gives people additional time — especially those seriously interested in serious pieces — to ask questions and explore more instead of that two hour window before the auction begins."

The live auction for nearly 100 personal items tied to Sanders is set for July 28.

"We have the keys to approximately 20-22 cities that he's received along with birthday letters and others from President Nixon," Klunk pointed out. "We have memorabilia from the stores."

The restaurant, along with the on-site home where Harland "Colonel" Sanders lived and operated what became KFC’s headquarters, will be offered through a sealed-bid process that runs through 11:59 p.m. July 31.

The property includes 3.01 acres of commercially zoned real estate with two structures. They include a 5,000-square-foot residence belonging to Harland and Claudia Sanders from 1959-84 — named Blackwood Hall — and a nearly 25,000-square-foot restaurant and banquet hall.

The sale also includes the operating restaurant business, furniture, fixtures and equipment, intellectual property and trademark rights.

Harland and Claudia Sanders moved to the property from Corbin, Kentucky. There, they opened the Claudia Sanders Dinner House in 1959, which also served as the first KFC headquarters. Additionally, the property became the couple's home for more than 25 years. It has attracted customers from across the country for more than 60 years.

"We've seen a lot of really neat things here, so it's been really nice," Mike Morris said Monday as he looked over the dozens of unique artifacts.

Morris lives in Cincinnati but is originally from Shelbyville. His father sold their family's home to Col. Harland and Claudia Sanders in the 1970s when the couple decided to move back to Shelby County from their home in Louisville.

"Here the Colonel was in his white suit introducing himself," Morris recalled. "He said 'My name is Colonel Harland Sanders,' and my dad introduced himself as Eddie Morris, and then he said 'Mr. Morris, I'd like to buy your house.'"

Morris, a teenager at the time, said his father had that home built on KY-53 just six months prior to the Sanders' offer. After negotiating with the couple, they sold them the house and kept 2 acres of the property where they broke ground on a new home.

While the Morris family waited on that new home to be constructed, they remained in their original home with the Sanders.

"The colonel and his wife sold their house on Hurstboune Lane and he actually moved into our basement of our house for six months while we were building our house," Morris said. "We all lived as one big happy family."

Now, Morris and members of his family are back in Shelbyville to see the collection of artifacts. They each have their own photos and memorabilia from that time but may be able to add to that collection.

"There's corporate people all over the world that's bidding on this," Morris said. "I'm sure it's going to probably get out of my price range, but it's for the fun of it."

The live and online auction begins at 6 p.m. July 28. Bidders may attend in person, but online bidding will be available worldwide.

You can register to attend the live auction by clicking here. Sealed bids for the real estate are due by 11:59 p.m. July 31.