The Story of Sarah Rector - “The Richest Black Girl in America”

This photo is often identified as Sarah Rector, though her descendants have disputed that attribution.

Sarah Rector was born on March 3, 1902, near the all-black town of Taft in Indian Territory, which would later become part of Oklahoma. Her parents, Rose and Joseph Rector, were Black descendants of people enslaved by the Creek tribe. Under the Treaty of 1866, Sarah and her siblings were entitled to land allotments as Creek Freedmen. In 1913, eleven-year-old Sarah received 159 acres in Glenpool, about sixty miles from her family's home.

The land appeared worthless. Its rocky soil was unsuitable for farming, and the annual property tax burdened the family. To offset costs, Joseph Rector leased Sarah's parcel to Standard Oil Company in 1911. Two years later, an independent driller struck oil on the property, producing a gusher that yielded 2,500 barrels per day and generated over $300 daily (approx $10,000 inflation-adjusted) for Sarah.

1914: Taft, Oklahoma. Courtesy okhistory.org.

Almost overnight, Sarah became known as the richest Black girl in America. By October 1913, she was receiving royalties exceeding $11,000. Her wealth attracted unwanted attention from marriage proposals to schemes. Under laws at the time, a white guardian was appointed to manage her estate despite her parents being alive. This arrangement troubled civil rights leaders W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington. Du Bois established the Children's Department of the NAACP partly in response to Sarah's case, while Washington arranged for her to attend Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

Sarah's struggle for control over her money continued into young adulthood. Guardians made questionable financial decisions and resisted her independence. Through determination and strategic maneuvering, Sarah finally secured full control of her estate at eighteen in 1920. By then, she was worth over one million dollars.

Rector Mansion at 12th and Euclid.

Shortly after gaining independence, Sarah and her family moved to Kansas City, Missouri. She purchased an impressive stone house at 2000 East 12th Street, which became known as the Rector Mansion. In Kansas City, Sarah married Kenneth Campbell, a local businessman, and they had three sons before divorcing in 1930. She later married William Crawford, a restaurant owner, and they remained together until her death.

Sarah became a respected figure in Kansas City's Black community. She owned luxury vehicles including a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce and was known for hosting elegant parties attended by jazz legends like Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Though she lost much of her fortune during the Great Depression and sold the mansion, she remained financially comfortable through smart investments in properties across Kansas City and Oklahoma.

Sarah Rector lived a notably private life in her later years, contrasting sharply with the intense public scrutiny of her youth. She died on July 22, 1967, at age 65, and was buried in Blackjack Cemetery in Taft. Today, the Rector Mansion stands as a reminder of her remarkable journey to becoming one of America's first Black women millionaires.

Sarah’s Oil is a 2025 movie chronicling Sarah’s journey, set to be released in theaters on November 7.