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. 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The town belonged to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and was one of several all-Black towns set up specifically for descendants of Africans enslaved by the Nation prior to the Civil War. Whats the Future of the Manufacturing Industry? In 1914, an African American Journal called The Chicago Defender, published a set of articles on Sarah Rector and her fortune after her name was becoming more and more popular. This caused National African American leaders Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. One of his slaves was Mollie, Sarah Rectors great-grandmother. Shortly thereafter, he died and was buried in Blackjack Cemetery in Taft. Rector Family PhotographSarah Rector moved to Kansas City in 1917, where she finished high school and stayed for the rest of her life. Sarah had five siblings and although they lived in relatively good conditions, they werent a wealthy family that could just start a millionaire business. Brown returned the images to the envelope. Some estimates place Sarah Rectors net worth at the time at $1 million, or about $28 million today. 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. To be clear, Sarah still had quite a bit of money, but she didnt have the ability to throw money around like she had once. Her fortune took a hit during the Great Depression, but she still owned properties in Kansas City and Oklahoma until her death from a stroke in 1967. LIKE US ONFACEBOOK. About about $11 million China is a responsible major country that is always willing to play a constructive role and has sincerity and goodwill in actively promoting peace talks, according to Global Times.. Since the outbreak of the The White-owned newspapers, seemingly unconstrained by facts and at times human decency, were openly racist in their coverage. Sarah Rector was born in 1902 to a freed black couple, Rose McQueen and Joseph Rector. 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. By the time she moved to Kansas City in her late teens, Sarah Rectors net worth was estimated to be greater than $1 million over $28 million today spread between oil fields, 2,000 acres of farmland in Oklahoma, and investments in numerous businesses in Kansas City. 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. 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. A typical cabin for Creek Freedmen on Muscogee (Creek) Nation land in Oklahoma, similar to where Sarah Rector would have been born. A guardian was appointed to manage young Sarahs income, and a judge oversaw the guardian. Shes Not Madeleine: Scotland Yard Refutes Julias Allegations of Being Madeleine McCann. They divorced in 1930 and Rector remarried in 1934. More intriguing, what happened to this young African American woman who was part of the Creek [Indian] freedmen? They lived in a five-room cottage and even owned a car, a rarity for Blacks at the time. Rectors father leased Sarahs portion of the land to a Pittsburgh oil company in 1911, primarily to pay a yearly $30 tax bill. Jerome Kerviel is the poorest person on the planet. Currently, no one has yet claimed trillionaire status, although some of the worlds richest individuals may only be a few years away from this milestone. 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. And Kardashian has earned at least $10 million annually since 2012 from endorsement deals, mobile apps and her show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians. WebSarah Kay Ferguson Avila went to be with her Lord and Saviour on September 27, 2014 in Oklahoma City. In order for Jim to show Joe where the alleged $40 million oil gusher was in Mexico, he had to be free. Not too long afterward, Manuel disappeared into the sunset and Joe, embarrassed, finally wired his wife for the money to get home. Rectors notoriety ballooned just as quickly as her wealth. Editors Note: This story was originally published on February 11, 2019, EVENTS But her relatives say those images are fake. The NAACP was able to convince the Rectors to send Sarah to the Tuskegee Institutes elementary school called the Childrens Home. 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. Joe ended up quite satisfied when he was able to lease Sarahs land to an oil company where he received a bonus of $160. Selena Hill is the Digital Editor at Black Enterprise and an award-winning multi-media journalist. Why Do Cross Country Runners Have Skinny Legs? How Sarah Rector Became The Richest Black Girl In America In The Early 20th Century. Around 1906, Rector and her two siblings, Rebecca and Joe Jr., were each allotted 160 acres by the federal government, Bolden writes. She is also the founder and co-host of "Be Heard Talk," a political podcast that adds a sprinkle of trap music, Beyonce, and flavor to unseasoned news. 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. and last updated 8:53 PM, Mar 02, 2021 KANSAS CITY, Mo. Were no interviews or oral histories ever conducted and recorded with Ms Rector, her parents or her siblings in their lifetime? 1. Who is the poorest person in the world? 1878) met and married Rose Jackson (b. Sarah was born on October 23, 1974 in Woodward, Oklahoma to John L. and Carol (Machacek) Ferguson. 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. Early life. Now, as mentioned, as Sarahs wealth kept growing, so did her fame. Euston published her myth-busting piece about Rector in 2019 on her history blog, The New Santa Fe Trailer. What happened to Sarah Rectors money? Kansas City The Rector Mansion in Kansas City still stands though, and her descendants hope to buy it back from the city and turn it into a museum about her life. Your Money, Your Life, LATEST LISTS Her parents were African American members of the Muscogee Creek Nation. It is important to hear from those directly concerned, rather than base research solely on archival material like newspaper clippings. When Sarah Rector died at age 65, she had used up a good portion of her fortune but she still had a few oil-producing wells and some real estate. Sarah Rectors case spotlighted the practice of transferring guardianship of black childrens wealth to whites. Concerned with her wellbeing and her white financial guardian, early NAACP leaders fought to protect her and her fortune. [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. WebBorn as the daughter of freedmen in 1902, Sarah Rector rose from humble beginnings to reportedly become the wealthiest black girl in America. Rectors spending was legendary, and she routinely drove around town in one of her expensive vehicles. Rector now received an income of $300. WebIn the 1920s, the Rector family moved to Kansas City where Sarah graduated from Lincoln High School. As a consequence of that Act, around 600 children received land, ad Sarah was granted almost 160 acres. Her descendants never knew. 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. Rectors life story did not need embellishment. Much was publicized about her extravagant spending on luxuries. She also owned stocks and bonds, a boarding house, a bakery and restaurant in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and 2,000 acres of land. Du Bois, who got involved with Sarah Rectors case when he heard rumors her money was being mismanaged by a white man. Rector's allotment subsequently became part of the Cushing-Drumright Oil Field. To make it more noticeable for her, they promised this move would elevate her social status, and was going to be able to ride on first-class cars on trains as if it would mend a lifetime of discrimination. When Sarah was 18 years old, she had a fortune estimated at $1 million, the equivalent of $11 million today. Her final resting place in the ground was back where the story beginsin Taft, in a peaceful parcel of land known as Blackjack Cemetery. Very interesting thank you. Rector married the first of her two husbands at the age of 20 and bore three sons, all now deceased. 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. Registry of Corporate Directors. One newspaper dubbed her the richest negro in the world.. Sarahs cut per day was $300. The Wichita BeaconNewspaper articles about Sarah Rector spread throughout America and were filled with the casual racism of the era. At age 20, Rector married Kansas City businessman Kenneth Campbell and had three sons. Du Bois to become concerned about her welfare. 1902, Sarah Rectors case when he heard rumors her Money was Being mismanaged by white. 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