Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by zamadatix 700 days ago
It's Kentucky in the early 1930s, driving up unarmed would be noteworthy in itself. It's tempting to make the story more interesting but is "local gas station owners get into a gunfight and one goes on to make KFC" not interesting enough without feeling the need to turn it into a blockbuster plot about a fast food gangster?

I hadn't heard Claudia was Stewart's daughter-in-law before though. I mean I'd believe it, if you've never been there Corbin isn't a particularly large town, but I also can't find any actual reference to it either.
1 comments
crawfishphase 700 days ago
the other details are also relatively true. The Colonels employees were armed and yelled at Stewart. Stewart was killed by a cop and rumors say he was paid to inflict retribution. Sanders married Claudia, who was Stewarts-daughter's-husband's-sister (Ona May Stewart married one of Claudia's brothers) and Sanders later co-owned a business with Stewarts daughter , Ona May. Straight shooter quote is true. KFC was born in the gas station near where it all shot off. Many do not know- To become a Kentucky Colonel, the Governor of Kentucky needs to sign off on it. They have a handshake and a song.
link
zamadatix 699 days ago
Relatively true in that most of these things are somewhere between a slightly off base and completely false. E.g. Ona May said "I always knew I could count on him" but "a straight shooter" was written in 2022 as an article ending pun for https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/kfc-colonel-sanders-shoot-..., not part of the Ona May's quote. The book referenced is actually a decent read.

Another interesting note on Kentucky Colonels is the title largely turned into a joke due to being over assigned for political preference, e.g. Sanders ended up getting his during such a wave in the 30s. There have been about 350,000 assignments and the governor no longer even bothers trying to hand sign them anymore. One guy I know got the title for filing a patent that hasn't even been commercially used.

link
crawfishphase 699 days ago
Relatively true in that they all became relatives.

"One guy I know got the title for filing a patent that hasn't even been commercially used"

Make him sing the song for you. Also, who do you think would win in a cage-match? The Colonel or Ray Croc?

link