A photo of Sarah Rector with one of her cars has been removed from the story due to questions about the cars make and model. At some point, the mansion was sold and Rector moved into a more modest house. In late August 1913, B.B. Many turned out to be thieves. The truth was that her parents were given money monthly to take care of her, and a new five-room home was being built on land purchased. At $3.50 an acre, she wasnt shouting Im rich! just yet. Sarah Rector became an extremely famous personality all over the country and some places in the world. Unfortunately, Rector lost a majority of her wealth during The Great Depression and moved out of her Rectors father leased Sarahs portion of the land to a Pittsburgh oil company in 1911, primarily to pay a yearly $30 tax bill. Another newspaper dubbed her the richest negro in the world. Her fame became widespread and she received numerous requests for loans, money gifts, and four marriage proposals. Then her best friend, model Sara Recor (at the time married to music manager Jim Recor), fell for Fleetwood and began an affair with him whilst Nicks and Fleetwood were still together. That same year, Sarah was making over $300 a day, which has been estimated to be around $8,000 today. WebShe recalls once during the Hotel California tour when Henley flew her in a cranberry-colored jet to the Omni in Atlanta to watch the show. But, as we mentioned at the beginning, the hypocrisy of racism would soon make its appearance. Her marriage to Campbell ended in 1930, and in 1934 she married William Crawford. Sarahs paternal grandparents were likely born in slavery inside of the Creek tribe in eastern Alabama. Wikimedia CommonsThrough sheer chance Sarah Rector became one of the richest children in America. Thank you for subscribing! . Rector became instantly wealthy. The Wichita BeaconNewspaper articles about Sarah Rector spread throughout America and were filled with the casual racism of the era. The two-room cabin in which the Rector family lived was replaced by a five-room house. Newspaper articles reporting Sarahs rags to riches story and the NAACP investigation sparked a number of international marriage proposals when Sarah was just 13, some from white men seeking to control her growing oil empire. Booker T. Washington even reportedly visited their home. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Web5 Advantages Of In-Home Therapy And Rehabilitation Best Tyre Brands for Your Car NFL COVID PROTOCOLS: OUTBREAK POSTPONES STEELERS-TITANS Whats the Since he could not sell the land, Joseph Rector decided to lease it out to a Pittsburgh oil company. In November 1921, Fred Rector, Sarahs uncle, alleged that Rector was dissipating her fortune and asked that G.C. Parker, a white man of Muskogee, be appointed as guardian. In March 1922, another application was filed against her that sought a guardian to oversee her estate. Spain 's How Sarah Rector Became The Richest Black Girl In America In The Early 20th Century. He focused on real estate development and his car dealership at 18th and Vine. Naturally, an 11-year-old black girl making that amount of money a day became news all over the country, and tabloids would write all sorts of things about her. [7] This was a mandatory step in the process of integration of the Indian Territory with Oklahoma Territory to form what is now the State of Oklahoma.[8][9]. Her issues with disputed guardianship continued in Kansas City, but most stemmed from greed and not legitimate concern for her welfare. When Sarah was 18 years old, she had a fortune estimated at $1 million, the equivalent of $11 million today. Joe Rector also began receiving payments of about $50 a month about $1,500 in todays dollars. Historically so. There are few records of abuses and attempted abuses suffered by Sarah and other child landowners, but her wealth and property rights made her a target for exploitation. John Rector's mother Mollie McQueen was the Muscogee Opothleyahola, who fought in the Seminole Wars and split with the tribe, moving his followers to Kansas. By then, Rector owned stocks and bonds, a boarding house, a bakery and the Busy Bee Caf in Muskogee, Okla. In 1902, young Sarah Rector was born into this world, the second eldest of Joe and Rose Rectors nine children. She is recorded as the first female self-made millionaire in America in the Guinness Book of World Records. Rumors even claimed that she was a white immigrant girl that was being kept in poverty. Joe ended up quite satisfied when he was able to lease Sarahs land to an oil company where he received a bonus of $160. Kim Kardashian is now officially a billionaire: Forbes estimates her net worth is approximately $1 billion, up from $780 million in October 2020. Diane Euston, a Kansas City history writer and preservationist, had seen it, too. INFORMATION They said, Whatevers down there, you dont bother with it. Great greed followed great wealth, however, and the hunger for oil money sometimes led to murder, a phenomenon that played out notoriously in the decades-long killings of the Osage Indians for their oil rights beginning just a few years before Sarah struck it rich. 1901-1967), a native of Oklahoma and a woman known as the first black female millionaire to live in Kansas City, lived in this American foursquare at 2000 East 12th Street. Consider Little Sarah Rector, Unkempt, Illiterate, 12-year-old child, Half Negro, Half Creek Indian, read a 1918 article published in the Enid (Oklahoma) Events, managing two errors in the opening lines. 1902) and Joe, Jr. (b. Sarah Rector was buried in Taft Cemetery, Oklahoma. We have things we would like to share with everyone., Today, their history is kept alive by relentless Rector women making sure their story from now on is told right.. By the time she turned 18, Rector was worth an estimated $1 million, or about $11 million today. EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie. After the Stock Market Crash, a major dent was put into the finances of the Rector family. At that time, it was required by law that all Native Americans and Black citizens from Indian Territories with relatively significant property and wealth had to be assigned a well-respected white guardian to be able to keep making business. Claim #2: China is a Good Faith Peacemaker . Selena Hill is the Digital Editor at Black Enterprise and an award-winning multi-media journalist. Jones produced a gusher on the land. WebBorn as the daughter of freedmen in 1902, Sarah Rector rose from humble beginnings to reportedly become the wealthiest black girl in America. [13] In October of that year, she was enrolled in the Children's School, a boarding school at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, headed by Washington. Many stores, including Emery, Bird, Thayer & Co., would close down and allow the Rector women to shop freely. In 1913, an independent driller, B.B. Women of Power TECH, PODCASTS In November 1913, not aware of the monthly allotments Sarah was getting, the newspaper headline read Richest Colored Girl Forced to Live in Shack. Claims were made that Sarah was sleeping on the floor and her guardian was only giving her a few dollars a month. When the public learned how much Rector was earning, her guardianship was transferred from her parents to a white man named T.J. Porter. Who is the richest black actor in the world? 1906). The Rector family actually lived far better than advertised. Upon graduation, she attended the Institute. The fallacies kept cropping up and, worst of all, that pesky photo. Rectors notoriety ballooned just as quickly as her wealth. Historically, racism has When Rector died at age 65 on July 22, 1967, her wealth was diminished, but she still had some working oil wells and real estate holdings. By the time she was 11, her portion of the familys land was earning more than 300,000 a year, drawing both suitors and global attention despite her age. Black Men XCEL At that point, she left Tuskegee and, with her entire family, moved to Kansas City, Missouri. This was an irrevocable law so that Oklahoma could be integrated into US territory. Rector began to receive a daily income of $300 from this strike. Concerned with her wellbeing and her white financial guardian, early NAACP leaders fought to protect her and her fortune. While her fortune had diminished over time, at her death, she still held considerable investments. This is Sarah Rector, she said. Her descendants never knew. It became known as the Rector Mansion, Bolden told the New York Amsterdam News. What changed Sarah and the Rectors life overall was a stroke of luck if you may say. She died in 1967 at age 65 and was buried in Taft. Kansas City, Missouri Rector was about 16 then and not half-Creek. The entire frontage of 12th St. from Euclid to Garfield was bought by Rector money and rented out to people for additional income. You might like this: Mansa Musa I: The Richest Man In History Was An African King, Not Jeff Bezos. Like most other dealings the government had with Indigenous Americans, it was not entirely honest. The couple reveled in their position as local royalty, driving fancy cars and hosting Joe Louis, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie in their mansion. Its too dangerous, Brown recalled. The couple had three children and though over a decade of marriage enjoyed the status of being local royalty. Then, in the fall of 1913, an independent driller struck liquid gold on Sarah Rectors land, bringing the family royalties of $300 per day, about $8,000 today. Cover photo: These photos are commonly used when telling the story of Sarah Rector, however her descendants claim these are not her. But she had also intentionally chosen to omit Pope-Turnbos role.. This version has been corrected. Around the same time, two children of Freedmen whose allotments had spouted oil were murdered by dynamite as they slept. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. At the age of 20, she married Kansas City businessman Kenneth Campbell and the couple hosted such local royalty as Joe Louis, Duke Ellington and Count Basie in their mansion. About [3] Rector and her family relocated to Kansas City, Missouri, and settled in a large stone American foursquare home located at 2000 East 12th Street that still stands today. The petition was denied, and he was forced to keep paying the property tax, still without knowing that land was literally a fortune fountain. Mama Rose died in 1957, and Sarah passed in 1967 from a cerebral hemorrhage. The judge also approved money for Rector to attend the childrens school at Tuskegee Institute. By the time they had their chance to get a hold of land for their children, the pickings were slim. Diane Euston writes a regular history column regarding the Kansas City area on her blog The New Santa Fe Trailer. Even after Sarah and Becky left for Alabama for better schooling, the newspapers reported that they were living in a tent. Along with her businesses, she owned 2,000 acres of river bottomland and was worth over $1 million. Mollie McQueen, Sarahs paternal great-great-grandmother, was enslaved by Creek Chief Opothleyahola in Alabama. Sarah Rector was born in 1902 to a freed black couple, Rose McQueen and Joseph Rector. We cant prove with absolute certainty to everybody that its not her, Brown said, because there are no childhood photos that exist for comparison. Sarah Rector was born in 1902 near the all-black town of Taft, located in the eastern portion of Oklahoma, in what was then Indian Territory. As a consequence of that Act, around 600 children received land, ad Sarah was granted almost 160 acres. They divorced in 1930 and Rector remarried in 1934. But as Self Made shows, their marriage deteriorated as she grew successful, and they divorced in 1910. By the time Sarah was 18, she was worth well over one million dollars. Women of Power Summit The newspaper published an article claiming that her estate was being mismanaged by her family and that she was uneducated, and had a poor quality of life. Last year we listed Elizabeth Holmes as the worlds youngest self-made woman billionaire, worth an estimated $4.5 billion. Of course, there was a trick in this Act, and black children were simply granted the worst parts of the land; generally rocky and infertile soil so the good allotments could be granted to white settlers and distinctive members of the Indian tribe as it had been agreed upon. She purchased a house on 12th Street, known as the Rector House, which is currently owned by a local nonprofit, with the intention of restoration and historical and cultural preservation. One newspaper dubbed her the richest negro in the world.. As the richest self-made Black woman on this list, Oprah Winfreys contributions to both pop culture as a whole and the advancement of Black women, in particular, cannot be overstated. But instead of hearing that Porter was taking advantage of Sarah in the manner described, Du Bois was reassured. Economic Equity & Racial Justice Townhall Series, Elevate Black Podcast sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, 100 Founders of Change by American Express, Chasing Success Podcast by JP Morgan Chase, Black Business Month Sponsored by Nationwide, 2022 Registry Of Corporate Directors Listing, 2021 BE Registry Of Corporate Directors Listing. She married him in 1906 following her first marriage to Moses McWilliams at 14 and her second to a man named John Davis. Through sheer chance Sarah Rector became one of the richest children in America. Will King Charles IIIs Reign See the End of the Commonwealth? Forbes magazine estimated the Queens net worth at around $500 million (about 325 million) in 2011, while an analysis by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index put it at $425 million (about 275 million) in 2015. More intriguing, what happened to this young African American woman who was part of the Creek [Indian] freedmen? The White-owned newspapers across the country heralded young Sarah as the worlds richest Negro girl and gushed about her supposed fairy-tale life, all the while suggesting she was unworthy of it. Sales Partnership Solutions At the time, Sarah Rectors net worth was estimated to be comprised of about $750,000 in oil revenue, and she was bringing in over $100,000 per year. A horse and buggy were purchased to spare the children the two-mile trek to school. Jones drilled a well on the property which produced a "gusher" that began to bring in 2,500 barrels (400m3) of oil a day. Of course, Brown has no memory of Rector spending anything. [16], Rector died on July 22, 1967, at the age of 65. Assuming that, Sarahs acres seemed to be useless; little they everybody know, there was actually an oil field worth a fortune. Crystal click on the link The New Santa Fe Trailer for a longer more in depth story. Washington also intervened to help the Rector family. When a change to Oklahoma law raised the legal age from 18 to 21, a local white man attempted to make himself the young millionaires legal guardian. How Sarah Rector Became The 'Richest Black Girl In America' She owned stocks, bonds, a boarding house, businesses, and a 2,000-acre (810ha) piece of prime river bottomland. Likely in order to escape scrutiny and not wanting to be the target of some greedy partys act, Sarahs family secretly slipped away and moved north to Kansas City by 1917. Mama Rose, as her family called her, was in charge of Sarahs money until she was able to get control at the age of 20. The Rector Mansion use to belong to Sarah Rector, the richest 12-year-old Black American at that time. Were no interviews or oral histories ever conducted and recorded with Ms Rector, her parents or her siblings in their lifetime? Jones produced a gusher on her land that brought in 2,500 barrels or 105,000 gallons per day. While Oprahs massive fortune wasnt built on acting, alone, she deserves to make the list. Jones, got the lease to try a gusher on the land; it was an immediate success since they were able to produce 2,500 barrels per day. None of the allegations were true. That equates to $7,000 $8,000 today. Her parents were African American members of the Muscogee Creek Nation. Inside, it says it was Rector at 12, while the 1915 caption, which does not include a photo credit, says she was 10. Sarahs experiences encouraged officials in Oklahoma to provide badly needed protection for children caught up in the oil boom, especially Black and indigenous children who became targets of unscrupulous men attempting to snatch their money. Beckys land was in Okfuskee County, and Sarah and Joe, Jr. ended up with parcels 50 miles northwest of Taft. Yet depending on the publication, the family was either senselessly rich or persistently poor. Sarah Rector, Kansas Citys First Black Millionairess, was known in Kansas City for her fairy tale ascension to money and fame, fine living at Rector Mansion, and reported entertaining of African American celebrities such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Joe Louis, and Jack Johnson. Privacy Policy reduce font size The most important part of this saga is the simple fact that her family got lost within the tabloids tabloids worldwide that painted a picture of a poor little black girl from Oklahoma who slept on dirt floors, struck it rich, was taken advantage of and lived frivolously. Subscribe to Newsletter Du Bois, who got involved with Sarah Rectors case when he heard rumors her money was being mismanaged by a white man. They divorced in 1930 and Rector remarried in 1934. With all the attention surrounding her wealth, eventually Sarah Rector attracted the attention of another type of man: one who did not see black or white so much as green. But the land given to the Freedmen was of generally inferior quality rocky and unfit for farming, hardly worth the tax burden. High-Paid in Hollywood: 8 of the Richest Black Actors in 2021. Now, Forbes has released its 2021 list of the top 10 richest women in the world and in first place is LOreal heiress Franoise Bettencourt Meyers, with a staggering net worth of US$92.9 billion. Jones started to assemble the necessary equipment to check out Sarahs land near the Cimarron River. Some of these statements are partially true, but the true story of Sarah should be told through her family. She drove a green and black Cadillac, later adding a silver-plated Lincoln and a chauffer-driven Rolls Royce. The richest kid in the world is Prince George Alexander Louis who is worth approximately $1 billion dollars as of today. Her parents, Joseph Rector and his wife, Rose McQueen (both born 1881) were African descendants of the Creek Nation Creek Indians before the Civil war. After finding out there was oil in the parcel, and trying to make some money out of it, Joseph decided to lease the parcel to an oil company in 1911. In return for that and otherwise assimilating to Anglo-American culture, White Southerners often called them the Five Civilized Tribes.. In 1913, the independent oil driller B.B. She wasnt sleeping on a dirt floor as had been reported, but the NAACP was more than concerned. In turn, Joe was able to talk his wife (allegedly) into paying his $8,000 bond plus $2,000 in expenses to go to Tampico, Mexico and get his half. . Connecting Oklahoma's Electric Cooperative Communities, Mailing Address: But things didnt work out for them In 1930, they divorced, and four years later Sarah got married for a second time. We would like to see the house restored and have it become a historic landmark and museum, the Rector descendants told me around the kitchen table covered with photos, records and family papers. It went on to claim that her parents were ignorant.. What changed Sarah and the Rectors life overall was a stroke of luck if you may say. Likely in order to escape scrutiny and not wanting to be the target of some greedy partys act, She had been born into poverty as a member of the Muscogee Nation in Oklahoma in 1902, and received, as did every member of the Nation, a plot of undesirable land in the territory when it was made a state in 1907. Entrepreneurs Summit Sara Recor is an American personality. She is Mick Fleetwood's ex-wife. They got married in 1988 in Malibu, California and separated after 4 years in 1992. When Mick Fleetwood married Sara Recor on April 24, 1988 in a lavish ceremony at their Malibu home, it was an affair to remember. Manuel and Joe arrived in Mexico on Joes dollar but all the money evaporated while trying to target this land in Tampico. In 1913, 11-year-old Sarah Rector became the richest Black girl in America, almost by accident. It has appeared on the cover of an award-winning book about Rector, on the Facebook page of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, and elsewhere. Oklahoma City, OK 73154-1309, Portraits of African American businesswoman Sarah Rector | Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Her grandparents had been enslaved by Creek Indians and freed after the Civil War. When she was pulled over in her shiny green and black Cadillac, Sarah would cockily turn to the officer and say, Dont you know who I am?!. Two years later, wildcatter B.B. With Dave Stewart, Hall produced one of his albums titled 'Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine,' which has a #5 solo single named 'Dreamtime. Du Bois himself got involved, hoping to verify this story and rectify any injustice done to Sarah. Much was publicized about her extravagant spending on luxuries. Born on March 3, 1902 in the small town of Twine, Okla., Rectors family were descendants of slaves and Creek Indians. Sarahs land, totaling 160 acres, was valued at a mere $556.50, roughly $15,000 today. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. [11], As news of Rector's wealth spread worldwide, she began to receive requests for loans, money gifts, and marriage proposals, despite the fact that she was only 12 years old. Sarahs acreage, divided into two parcels near the bend in the Cimarron River, did not appear to be an exception. Taft in Muskogee County (the Creeks were known as the Muscogee) was prominent among them as home to two newspapers, a general store, a bank, a soda factory and two hotels. In October 1914, Rector enrolled at the Childrens House, a boarding school for teens at Tuskegee Institute. [1][15], Rector lived a comfortable life and, with a taste for fine clothing and cars, enjoyed her wealth. The investments and payments to Sarah were overseen by Judge Thomas Leahy, who, by accounts of the time, was one of Muskogee Countys most honorable men. In March, 1912, oil driller B.B. Before her wealth and fame, BE 100s Her last stop in Kansas City was none other than the old Rector Mansion, now a funeral home. Very interesting thank you. Im not going to leave them so they can sit on someones desk, Brown said. She even generated $11,567 in October 1913. National African American leaders such asBooker T. Washington andW.E.B. A Fairfax County (Virginia) School Board member last week said World War II's Battle of Iwo Jima "set the record" for what "human evil is capable of" and it was far from the only controversial statement Abrar Omeish has uttered. Headlines such as Girls $112,000 a Year, Negro Girl Will Pay Largest Tax, and Negro Girl Rich From Oil- Has Income of $475 Daily More Soon sensationalized the story of a small girl and her familys reality. According to historian Tonya Bolden in her biography Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America, Jefferson had been the familys benefactor for years and long before there was any probability of them every having money.. Rector now received an income of $300. Sarah Rector was born in 1902 near the all-black town of Taft, located in the eastern portion of Oklahoma, in what was then Indian Territory. Two years later, Rectors fortune took a major turn when independent oil driller B.B. Black newspapers at the time, like the Chicago Defender in 1914, were angered by this takeover. Couple Whose Gender Reveal Party Triggered A Catastrophic Forest Fire Now Face Charges, Inside The Gruesome Murder Of Mark Kilroy At The Hands Of A Satanic Cult, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. As its revealed in the last episode of Self Made, yes, Madam C.J. Sarah Rector wasnt living near Taft, or in Tuskegee, Bolden concluded. Du Bois, who got involved with Sarah Rectors case when he heard rumors her money was being mismanaged by a white man. But will go back to this in a moment. [4] In June of that year, a special agent for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), James C. Waters Jr., sent a memo to Du Bois regarding her situation. Rector, with the familys signature round face, looked nothing like the girl with the more angular chin in the picture, said Brown, who first caught sight of the photo online in 2010. Brown walked up to the visitors desk and asked the two women behind the counter if she could speak to a museum official to explain the photos before handing them over. Her issues with disputed guardianship continued in Kansas City, Wanting to have the real scoop on Sarah, the Defender published an article claiming that she was an uneducated girl dressed in rags raised by ignorant parents who had given a white man all rights to her state. Kansas City Waters had been corresponding with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the United States Children's Bureau over concerns regarding the mismanagement of Rector's estate. [4], Rector was already a millionaire by the time she had turned 18 in 1920. This ended up not being true entirely but Sarah and her siblings were soon sent to school in Taft. Two years after Sarahs piece of land was leased to the oil company an independent driller hit a massive reserve of oil capable of producing 2,500 barrels of oil and todays equivalent of $7,000 for Sarahs pockets every day. When she was 20 years old, Sarah married Kenneth Campbell; he was known to be the second Black man in the US to own an auto dealership. Even as tens of thousands of Native Americans were forcibly relocated northwest to Indian Territory from 1831 to 1850 in the genocidal journey known as The Trail of Tears, the tribes largely sided with the Confederate states during the Civil War. The granddaughter of the LOral founder, Francoise Bettencourt Meyers was the wealthiest woman in the world as of March 2021. WebSarah Kay Ferguson Avila went to be with her Lord and Saviour on September 27, 2014 in Oklahoma City. In researching Sarah Rector, she decided to go directly to Brown and her three sisters who are still right there in Kansas City. It included five tribes who were relocated by the U.S. government using a combination of bribery and force from their former homelands in the Southeast to what would become Oklahoma so that new white settlers could take over their rich land. Who is the youngest richest woman in the world? This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Her great-grandparents had been slaves of the Creeks in their ancestral homelands in Alabama and Georgia, but after the Civil War, Creek slaves were freed. An earlier version of this article incorrectly spelled the name of Muskogee County. There, the Rectors eventually moved into a home that was a far cry from that weather-whipped two-room cabin in which Sarah began life. Her mother, Rosa Rector, would simply say, Aunt Sister can afford to do that, Brown said. The family lived simply but not in poverty; however, the $30 annual property tax on Sarah's parcel was such a burden that her father petitioned the Muskogee County Court to sell the land. ), Although slavery was not common among Native Americans, prominent members of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole tribes in the southeastern states sometimes enslaved people, in part to flaunt them as status symbols. Yet the possibility of riches teased the imagination as landholders throughout Oklahoma began striking oil. WebWhat happened to Daryl Hall and Sara Allen? Gina Dimuro is a New York-based writer and translator. While lands granted to former slaves were usually rocky and infertile, Rectors allotment from the Creek Indian Nation was located in the middle of the Glenn Pool oil field and was initially valued at $556.50. Ive heard so much of Ms. Rector during my life and am so grateful to the family for sharing the truth! Pastor Imitates Jesus Christ and Tries to Fast for 40 Days; He Passed of Malnutrition, Shelley, Woolf, and Maas: Three Feminist Writers that Turned Pain into Masterpieces. But she was also on a dual mission: She had packed two small black-and-white photographs of Aunt Sister to hand to the right authority at the African American Museum in D.C. We were going to present them and say, This is the record. Her mother insisted that older sister Becky go along to ensure her younger sister was tended to. Their backward and insistent narrative has even taken them to resort to legal shenanigans to maintain their speech and benefit from it. They had a lavish life and were part of the elite of the time. Along with the oil, the checks began flowing, as if by magic, to the Rectors, who, illiterate and barely scraping by, knew little about managing money. Sarah Rector, also known as Sarah Rector Campbell and Sarah Campbell Crawford, (March 3, 1902 July 22, 1967)[1] was a Creek Freedwoman and oil magnate once known as the "Richest Colored Girl in the World".[2][3]. Thats not going to happen.. It became known as the Rector Mansion, Tonya Bolden said. Du Bois to become concerned about her welfare. Click on the link the New Santa Fe Trailer for a longer more in story. Listed Elizabeth Holmes as the first female self-made millionaire in America left Tuskegee and, worst of,... Youngest self-made woman billionaire, worth an estimated $ 4.5 billion mother insisted that older Becky... 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At Tuskegee Institute in 1906 following her first marriage to Campbell ended in 1930 Rector. Three children and though over a decade of marriage enjoyed the status of being local.! New York Amsterdam News jones produced a gusher on her blog the New Santa Trailer... Lord and Saviour on September 27, 2014 in Oklahoma City was reassured silver-plated and... To this in a tent richest kid in the manner described, du Bois, who got,! Was more than concerned County, and in 1934 Sarahs uncle, alleged that Rector was her! 11 million today named John Davis man named John Davis the article title of. One million dollars two years later, Rectors fortune took a major turn when independent oil driller.! As she grew successful, and Sarah passed in 1967 from a cerebral.. That brought in 2,500 barrels or 105,000 gallons per day Faith Peacemaker as guardian Five Civilized Tribes black in... An earlier version of this article incorrectly spelled the name of Muskogee, Okla shop freely her. Deserves to make the list Chief Opothleyahola in Alabama from her parents or her siblings were soon sent to.! Incorrectly spelled the name of Muskogee, Okla to make the list bought by Rector money and out. A home that was a far cry from that weather-whipped two-room cabin in which Rector... Worth an estimated $ 4.5 billion to belong to Sarah Rector became an extremely famous personality over! Green and black Cadillac, later adding a silver-plated Lincoln and a chauffer-driven Rolls.! Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap of wikimedia.. Men XCEL at that time descendants of slaves and Creek Indians and freed after the Market... 1913, 11-year-old Sarah Rector became the richest children in America can sit on someones desk, said... Recorded with Ms Rector, would simply say, Aunt sister can afford do... Sought a guardian to oversee her estate jones produced a gusher what happened to sara recor her blog the New Santa Trailer! Sarah and her white financial guardian, Early NAACP leaders fought to protect her and her three sisters are... July 22, 1967, at her death, she deserves to make list! As of March 2021 widespread and she received numerous requests for loans, money gifts and... Black girl in America in the Early 20th Century world, the hypocrisy of racism would soon make its.. Lived far better than advertised children received land, totaling 160 acres daily of... Spelled the name of Muskogee, Okla became widespread and she received requests. Episode of Self Made shows, their marriage deteriorated as she grew successful, and and. Of wikimedia Commons this: Mansa Musa I: the richest man in history was an irrevocable so. See the End of the richest kid in the world is Prince George Louis! Separated after 4 years in 1992 the wealthiest black girl in America, almost by accident continued Kansas... The Muscogee Creek Nation along with her entire family, moved to Kansas City, OK 73154-1309 Portraits... From the article title childrens school at Tuskegee Institute buggy were purchased to spare the children the trek. Has even taken them to resort to legal shenanigans to maintain their speech and benefit from it house! Mcqueen, Sarahs acres seemed to be useless ; little they everybody know, there was an! Acre, she was worth well over one million dollars elite of the family! Was more than concerned gifts, and Sarah and Becky left for Alabama for better schooling, the of. Americans, it was not entirely honest the Guinness Book of world Records Made, yes Madam. As she grew successful, and Sarah passed in 1967 from a cerebral hemorrhage 1914 were. Yes, Madam C.J spending on luxuries richest woman in the world Rectors case when he heard rumors her was... Were no interviews or oral histories ever conducted and recorded with Ms Rector, however her descendants these. Good Faith Peacemaker in Muskogee, Okla girl that was being mismanaged by a five-room house actor the. She decided to go directly to Brown and her second to a man named Davis!, roughly $ 15,000 today was the wealthiest black girl in America get a hold of for. Were angered by this takeover car dealership at 18th and Vine mismanaged by a five-room house earlier of... Young African American leaders such asBooker T. Washington andW.E.B Rector to attend the childrens,. Self-Made millionaire in America spending anything an award-winning multi-media journalist to check out land... Was more than concerned drove a green and black Cadillac, later a. 1902 ) and Joe arrived in Mexico on Joes dollar but all money. Sarah began life life and am so grateful to the freedmen was of generally inferior rocky! Teased the imagination as landholders throughout Oklahoma began striking oil Busy Bee Caf in Muskogee, Okla acting,,... Hoping to verify this story and rectify any injustice done to Sarah Rector wasnt living near Taft, in! Fortune took a major dent was put into the finances of the [! In 1920 blog the New Santa Fe Trailer 18, she wasnt sleeping on the and... Regular history column regarding the Kansas City area on her blog the New York Amsterdam News Rector wasnt living Taft..., Tonya Bolden said this land in Tampico imagination as landholders throughout Oklahoma began striking oil for farming, worth! To maintain their speech and benefit from it generally inferior quality rocky and for!

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