KFC’s roots in Corbin, Kentucky

Joe Ledington of Corbin, Ky., displays a 1980s photo of him with his uncle, Colonel Harland Sanders, who perfected his world-famous Kentucky Fried Chicken in his Corbin cafe. The photo is part of a family album. (Jay Jones / Chicago Tribune)

Chicago Tribune

Aug. 18, 2016 1:59 PM PT

The small town of Corbin is the birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken, and you can visit the spot where it all started..

A statue of Corbin, Ky.’s famous son, Colonel Harland Sanders, graces the new downtown park named for him. (Jay Jones / Chicago Tribune)

A bench in Corbin Ky.’s Sanders Park is cast with a likeness of the famous face of the Colonel. (Jay Jones / Chicago Tribune)

The original Sanders Cafe sign is small compared to the newer KFC sign and bucket that tower over the Corbin, Ky., restaurant.

(Jay Jones / Chicago Tribune)

A statue of the Colonel sits on a bench at the Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum in Corbin, Ky. (Jay Jones / Chicago Tribune)

The original kitchen in which Harland Sanders created the fried chicken that would become a worldwide sensation is preserved inside the Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum in Corbin, Ky.

(Jay Jones / Chicago Tribune)

Colonel Sanders began the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise empire by selling pressure cookers such as these — plus his secret breading mix — to restaurants around the country. (Jay Jones / Chicago Tribune)

A statue of Colonel Sanders is seen inside his old office, now a part of the Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum, in Corbin, Ky. (Jay Jones / Chicago Tribune)