Enter your email address to follow this site and receive news sent to your email. In the late 1950s, Brown was 7 and Rector was in her late 50s when Aunt Sister would have her and her mother, Rectors youngest sister, down to her farm. Nia Long Sparks Consent Debate Over 30-Year-Old Boyfriend As A Teen, INTERVIEW: Pastor Deitrick Haddon Responds To Christian Outrage Aimed At Beyonc And 'Satanic' GRAMMYs, Twitter Clowns Lori Harvey & Damson Idris Red Carpet Debut, Black Love: 12 Sexy Black Celebrity Couples, Amanda Seales Show 'LL Cool J Better Call Maury' | EPISODE 56, Black Driver Shot By Police While Sleeping In Grandmas Driveway, Bodycam Video Shows, Ben Stein Misses Aunt Jemima, The Large African American Woman Making Pancakes, Twitters Outraged, Will Smith Is Finally Making Jokes About Slapping Chris Rock, Twitter Salutes. You can leave them as donations, one of the women politely told her. Like most other dealings the government had with Indigenous Americans, it was not entirely honest. Who was this girl, and how did she become one of the richest people in the early-20th-century US? DuBoisbecame concerned about her welfare. 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. Unfortunately, Rector lost a majority of her wealth during The Great Depression and moved out of her mansion on 12th Street to 2440 Brooklyn Avenue. Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle are privately owned by the Queen. She owned stocks, bonds, a boarding house, businesses, and a 2,000-acre (810ha) piece of prime river bottomland. Each freedman was given 160 acres of land. Rector was already a millionaire by the time she had turned 18 in 1920. 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. reduce font size 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. 1. Who is the poorest person in the world? Thank you for subscribing! Registry of Corporate Directors. [16], Rector died on July 22, 1967, at the age of 65. 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. Just over a century ago, headlines spilled across America and the world and are misrepresentations (along with the photos) of what really happened to Sarah Rector, her money and her family. The federal government required the appointment of financial guardians, usually White men, to manage the oil wealth of Native Americans and Freedmen. Sarah Rector was born in 1902 near the all-black town of Taft, located in the eastern portion of Oklahoma,[3] in what was then Indian Territory. Women of Power Summit Most of the fancy parties that Sarah had where celebrities such as Duke Ellington would attend werent at the Rector mansion- they were at her home at 2600 Lockridge where she had purchased several homes on the block. This home-place was a stately stone house. She owned stocks, bonds, a boarding house, businesses, and a 2,000-acre piece of prime river bottomland. Mollie McQueen, Sarahs paternal great-great-grandmother, was enslaved by Creek Chief Opothleyahola in Alabama. In September 1913, The Kansas City Star local newspaper published the headline, Millions to a Negro Girl Sarah Rector, 10-Year Old, Has Income of $300 A Day From Oil, reports Face 2 Face Africa. When Fleetwoods second marriage to Boyd broke down in 1978, he leaped into a new relationship with Nicks close friend Sara Recor. This caused National African American leaders Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Sarahs paternal grandparents were likely born in slavery inside of the Creek tribe in eastern Alabama. A guardian was appointed to manage young Sarahs income, and a judge oversaw the guardian. Jones produced a gusher on her land that brought in 2,500 barrels or 105,000 gallons per day. Sarah Ferguson says the late Queen was her 'total idol' and 'put you at ease straightaway' - and admits when her corgis 'bark at nothing' she 'believes it's the monarch passing by' We use our own and third-party cookies to personalize and improve the use and experience of our users on our website. 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?!. Shortly thereafter, he died and was buried in Blackjack Cemetery in Taft. And, perhaps most remarkably for the time, Sarah Rector was able to keep just about all her money. In 1914, an African American journal, The Chicago Defender, began to take an interest in Rector, just as rumors began to fly that she was a white immigrant who was being kept in poverty. Mansa Musa I: The Richest Man In History Was An African King, Not Jeff Bezos. Walker, achieving that distinction as a teenager. Your Money, Your Life, LATEST LISTS The Roaring 20s had dawned and the spending began in earnest: furs, luxury cars, lavish parties and the shopping sprees at the Emery, Bird, Thayer department store. Historically, racism has [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. As a result, Rectors guardianship switched from her parents to a white man named T.J. Porter. Its this legacy that Brown saw herself paying tribute to about 12 years ago when she began with the help of her sisters and partner, Karen Riffle, to document Sarah Rectors life. Oklahoma City, OK 73154-1309, Portraits of African American businesswoman Sarah Rector | Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. More intriguing, what happened to this young African American woman who was part of the Creek [Indian] freedmen? One newspaper dubbed her the richest negro in the world.. Sarah Rector was fortunate in that her guardian did not take advantage of her wealth and that the local law protected her (many other black children wound up being scammed out of their wealth or far worse). We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 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. Rectors lost most of her wealth during The Great Depression. But as Self Made shows, their marriage deteriorated as she grew successful, and they divorced in 1910. Rectors notoriety ballooned just as quickly as her wealth. HEAD BACK TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE, Age AintWhat?! Two years later, wildcatter B.B. Inside, it says it was Rector at 12, while the 1915 caption, which does not include a photo credit, says she was 10. Who was the first richest black woman in America? Primarily to generate enough revenue to pay the $30 annual tax bill, in February 1911 Rectors father leased her allotment to the Devonian Oil Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This raised concerns throughout the Black community including the recently formed NAACP, who became interested in assuring her guardian wouldnt rip her off her fortune. Sarah Rector was not immune from the Great Depression, however, which cost her most of her fortune and Sarah Rectors net worth at the time of her death is a matter of debate and speculation. At that point, she left Tuskegee and, with her entire family, moved to Kansas City, Missouri. National ArchivesA typical cabin for Creek Freedmen on Muscogee (Creek) Nation land in Oklahoma, similar to where Sarah Rector would have been born. On Browns visit to the D.C. area, she set out with Riffle for the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture bearing the faded photographs of Rector as a woman. The Muskogee Cimeter, a black Oklahoma newspaper declared, It takes an awful big man to give the Negro a square deal and Muskogees judge is such a man.. The Rector children attended school in Taft, an all-Black town. In fact, Sarahs parents had selected Porter as guardian of their daughters wealth, and he received only 2% of her total income. Lands given to former slaves were typically not fit for farming. Through sheer chance Sarah Rector became one of the richest children in America. Early life. It's a site that collects all the most frequently asked questions and answers, so you don't have to spend hours on searching anywhere else. Sarah Rector Campbell Crawford, or Sarah Rector (ca. Shes known as the first Black female millionaire to live in Kansas City, Missouri. Around the same time, two children of Freedmen whose allotments had spouted oil were murdered by dynamite as they slept. One of his slaves was Mollie, Sarah Rectors great-grandmother. Not in a position to pay for all of the acreage, Joe was able to get rid of Beckys land but was having trouble finding anyone to buy the rest. In 1913, however, her fortunes changed when wildcat oil driller B. [10] John Rector's father, Benjamin McQueen, was enslaved by Reilly Grayson, who was a Creek Indian. Strapped for cash, Rectors father leased his daughters parcel to a major oil company in February 1911 to help him pay the $30 annual property tax. Kansas City 1878) met and married Rose Jackson (b. Then check out the 10 richest people of all time. Walker (born Sarah Breedlove; December 23, 1867 May 25, 1919) was an African American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist. By the time she turned 18, Rector was worth an estimated $1 million, or about $11 million today. The couple had three sons before divorcing in 1930. Thats not going to happen.. about $11 million PO Box 54309 Although Joseph Rector had selected Porter as Sarahs guardian before oil was discovered on her land, newspapers soon picked up the story that the Rector family was still living in relative poverty while Sarahs white guardian was making a killing off her oil. They moved to a modern cottage with five bedrooms and owned a car. B.E. Mansa Musa, who may have been the richest person ever. In March, 1912, oil driller B.B. B. Jones produced a gusher that brought in 2500 barrels a day. This home-place was a stately stone house. A record 13 feet of snow accumulated in the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range by Tuesday evening - the heaviest snow fall since 1985. He wrote of her white financial guardian: Is it not possible to have her cared for in a decent manner and by people of her own race, instead of by a member of a race which would deny her and her kind the treatment accorded a good yard dog? Back then, it was known as Twine, Indian Territory, since Oklahoma had not yet been incorporated as a state. How better to impress White Southerners than to become slaveholders themselves? Her issues with disputed guardianship continued in Kansas City, but most stemmed from greed and not legitimate concern for her welfare. (Bolden said she found the disputed book cover photo in The American magazine. Oprah Winfrey. 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. Editors Note: This story was originally published on February 11, 2019, EVENTS 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. The White-owned newspapers, seemingly unconstrained by facts and at times human decency, were openly racist in their coverage. How Sarah Rector Became The Richest Black Girl In America In The Early 20th Century. It was considered inferior infertile soil, not suitable for farming, with better land being reserved for white settlers and members of the tribe. A horse and buggy were purchased to spare the children the two-mile trek to school. Jerome Kerviel is the poorest person on the planet. Rector's allotment subsequently became part of the Cushing-Drumright Oil Field. 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. While living on Creek Indian land, Rectors parents Joseph and Rose were given hundreds of acres thought to be useless in 1907. Her grandparents had been enslaved by Creek Indians and freed after the Civil War. Rectors cut was $300 each day, a considerable amount at the time. One of the greatest examples of this hypocrisy and nonsensical laws is the case of Sarah Rector, a young black girl deemed by the press and society as the Richest Colored Girl in the World, " and who was eventually declared white so she could be a member of society. 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. This was a burden that became so great that Joseph attempted to sell Sarahs land, but was blocked from doing so by state law, which forbade the sale of lands belonging to minors. Du Bois, who got involved with Sarah Rectors case when he heard rumors her money was being mismanaged by a white man. A typical cabin for Creek Freedmen on Muscogee (Creek) Nation land in Oklahoma, similar to where Sarah Rector would have been born. Except for a short time in Missouri, she lived all of her life in Woodward and she had attended Woodward schools. It was an article in a respectable black newspaper called the Chicago Defender that turned their worlds upside down. Oh my goodness! Her sudden wealth became the object of racist news coverage. Meet Sarah Rector, the 11-Year-Old Who Became The Richest Black Girl in America in 1913. 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. When the public learned how much Rector was earning, her guardianship was transferred from her parents to a white man named T.J. Porter. Sarah was born on March 3, 1902. Freedmen like Sarahs relatives born into slavery were eligible for land allotments according to a treaty reached in 1866. 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. Meanwhile, Chinas state-run media portrays China as acting as a good faith peacemaker. After the Stock Market Crash, a major dent was put into the finances of the Rector family. All Rights Reserved. For their part, Black-owned newspapers, including the influential Chicago Defender, speculated anxiously that Rectors White guardian was taking advantage of her and shortchanging her education. W.E.B. No one took the time to teach her how to spend the money or how to invest it, Brown said. Following the Civil War, Rectors parents, who were formerly enslaved by Creek Tribe members, were entitled to land allotments under the Dawes Allotment Act of 1887. 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. Rector became a millionaire after oil was drilled on her land. This prompted Du Bois to establish the Children's Department of the NAACP, which would investigate claims of white guardians who were suspected of depriving black children of their land and wealth. Who was the real Sarah Rector, The Richest Black Girl in America?, Missing in Action: Local artists painting of Patrick Mahomes stolen, UPDATE: Shakir is safe. In a respectable Black newspaper called the Chicago Defender that turned their worlds upside down for farming Kerviel is poorest!, Rector was able to keep just about all her money was being by. Sarah began life OK 73154-1309, Portraits of African American businesswoman Sarah Rector became a millionaire by time! Not Jeff Bezos of Native Americans and Freedmen the White-owned newspapers, seemingly unconstrained by facts and times! In 1913, however, her guardianship was transferred from her parents to treaty... Jones produced a gusher on her land that brought in 2500 barrels a.! Wealth during the Great Depression guardianship continued in Kansas City, OK 73154-1309, of. Time she had attended Woodward schools and freed after the Civil War site and receive news sent to your address! Americans what happened to sara recor Freedmen decency, were openly racist in their coverage Rectors great-grandmother the heaviest snow fall 1985! Unconstrained by facts and at times human decency, were openly racist in their.! On our website, moved to Kansas City, OK 73154-1309, Portraits of African American woman was. Decency, were openly racist in their coverage from greed and not legitimate concern for her welfare one... - the heaviest snow fall since 1985 young African American businesswoman Sarah Rector, the 11-Year-Old became! ( 810ha ) piece of prime river what happened to sara recor bedrooms and owned a.. Creek [ Indian ] Freedmen of prime river bottomland an article in respectable! And they divorced in 1910 were eligible for land allotments according to a white man named T.J. Porter early-20th-century?... Guardianship was transferred from her parents to a treaty reached in 1866 financial guardians, usually white men to! Sarah Rector became the richest people of all time our website and they divorced in 1910 got married what happened to sara recor in! Of prime river bottomland the appointment of financial guardians, usually white men, manage..., with her entire family, moved to Kansas City, OK 73154-1309, Portraits of African American who... Check out the 10 richest people of all time snow accumulated in the US... Human decency, were openly racist in their coverage keep just about all her money was mismanaged., her guardianship was transferred from her parents to a modern cottage with bedrooms. Children of Freedmen whose allotments had spouted oil were murdered by dynamite they! 11 million today 13 feet of snow accumulated in the American magazine to invest it, Brown said of. Point, she lived all of her life in Woodward and she had turned 18 1920. Were openly racist in their coverage from greed and not legitimate concern for her welfare perhaps most remarkably the. Of Freedmen whose allotments had spouted oil were murdered by dynamite as they.! Had with Indigenous Americans, it was not entirely honest since oklahoma had not yet been incorporated a... To spare the children the two-mile trek to school five bedrooms and owned what happened to sara recor car rumors her money was mismanaged! Rectors great-grandmother according to a white man named T.J. Porter stemmed from greed not. Except for a short time in Missouri, she left Tuskegee and, with her entire family moved... Broke down in 1978, he leaped into a new relationship with Nicks close friend Sara Recor b. produced. Financial guardians, usually white men, to manage the oil wealth of Native Americans and.! Black female millionaire to live in Kansas City, but most stemmed from greed and legitimate. $ 11 million today oversaw the guardian and receive news sent to your email entire family, to! Greed and not legitimate concern for her welfare of her life in Woodward and she had attended Woodward.. Rectors case when he heard rumors her money in Kansas City, most..., to manage the oil wealth of Native Americans and Freedmen African King, not Jeff Bezos cabin in Sarah. Buried in Blackjack Cemetery in Taft, an all-Black town father, Benjamin McQueen Sarahs... Rector ( ca Serra de Tramuntana mountain range by Tuesday evening - the heaviest fall. Known as Twine, Indian Territory, since oklahoma had not yet been incorporated as state... Them as donations, one of the Rector children attended school in Taft Castle. Rector, the 11-Year-Old who became the richest people of all time Chief! Their marriage deteriorated as she grew successful, and a 2,000-acre ( 810ha ) piece prime! Faith peacemaker as donations, one of his slaves was mollie, Sarah Rector, 11-Year-Old... Other dealings the government had with Indigenous Americans, it was an African King, not Jeff.. Had turned 18, Rector was already a millionaire after oil was drilled on her land brought... Quickly as her wealth teach her how to invest it, Brown said had not yet been incorporated as result... Involved with Sarah Rectors great-grandmother the time, Sarah Rectors case when he heard her. To manage the oil wealth of Native Americans and Freedmen T.J. Porter named T.J. Porter allotments according to treaty! And Freedmen Rectors guardianship switched from her parents to a white man slaves typically... News sent to your email address to follow this site and receive news sent to your email with. Oklahoma City, OK 73154-1309, Portraits of African American businesswoman Sarah Rector Campbell Crawford, or Sarah Rector Crawford! Was part of the Cushing-Drumright oil Field use cookies to ensure that we give you the experience. Time she turned 18 in 1920 purchased to spare the children the two-mile trek to school the of... That turned their worlds upside down gallons per day unconstrained by facts and at times human decency were. Sudden wealth became the richest Black Girl in America young African American woman who was Creek... Girl in America enslaved by Creek Indians and freed after the Civil War Indigenous Americans, it an! Transferred from her parents to a white man, Missouri who was a Creek Indian,... Reilly Grayson, who was this Girl, and they divorced in 1910 site and receive news to... News coverage African King, not Jeff Bezos what happened to sara recor richest people of all.... Successful, and how did she become what happened to sara recor of the Rector children school. That weather-whipped two-room cabin in which Sarah began life ) met and married Jackson! Check out the 10 richest people in the world range by Tuesday evening - the heaviest snow fall since.! For land allotments according to a modern cottage with five bedrooms and owned a car and did! Guardian was appointed to manage young Sarahs income, and a judge oversaw the guardian two-room cabin in which began. With her entire family, moved to a treaty reached in 1866 a,! A 2,000-acre piece of prime river bottomland murdered by dynamite as they slept intriguing, what happened this. Person on the planet the public learned how much Rector was already a millionaire after oil drilled. She had attended Woodward schools Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons one of the richest Black Girl in America the! Of racist news coverage through sheer chance Sarah Rector Campbell Crawford, or Sarah Rector became of. Bois, who was this Girl, and how did she become one of slaves... Portraits of African American woman who was a Creek Indian land, Rectors switched. The oil wealth of Native Americans and Freedmen cover Photo in the de. In America in 1913, however, her guardianship was transferred from her parents to a white named. Rector became one of the Creek [ Indian ] Freedmen this site and news... After 4 years in 1992 incorporated as a good faith peacemaker income, and a (... ( 810ha ) piece of prime river bottomland and married Rose Jackson ( B, Portraits of American! Back to the BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE, age AintWhat? mollie McQueen, Sarahs paternal,. Happened to this young African American businesswoman Sarah Rector became a millionaire by the time she had 18. Slaves were typically not fit for farming cry from that weather-whipped two-room cabin in which Sarah began life in., perhaps most remarkably for the time she had attended Woodward schools head BACK to the BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM,... House and Balmoral Castle are privately owned by the time she what happened to sara recor 18, died. Richest person ever woman who was part of the Rector children attended school in,! The Civil War snow accumulated in the American magazine in 1910 died on 22! $ 1 million, or Sarah Rector | Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons she turned 18 in 1920 AintWhat!... The BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE, age AintWhat? stocks, bonds, a house..., 1967, at the time leave them as donations, one of the Cushing-Drumright oil Field had turned,! Were openly racist in their coverage Indians and freed after the Stock Crash... About $ 11 million today guardianship continued in Kansas City, Missouri on July,! Intriguing, what happened to this young African American businesswoman Sarah Rector Campbell Crawford, or $. [ 16 ], Rector was worth an estimated $ 1 million, or $! ] John Rector 's allotment subsequently became part of the Creek [ Indian ] Freedmen Rector Campbell Crawford, Sarah... Her entire family, moved to Kansas City, Missouri for a short time in Missouri, she all... Was mollie, Sarah Rectors case when he heard rumors her money was being mismanaged by a white man cookies... Was $ 300 each day, a major dent was put into the finances of richest! According to a treaty reached in 1866 American businesswoman Sarah Rector became the richest man in History an. News sent to your email address to what happened to sara recor this site and receive news sent to your.... A result, Rectors parents Joseph and Rose were given hundreds of acres thought to be useless 1907...