Sarah Rector

Sarah Rector, also known as Sarah Rector Campbell and Sarah Campbell Crawford, (March 3, 1902 – July 22, 1967) was an American oil magnate since childhood. Under the Treaty of 1866, due to birthright as a Black grandchild of Creek Indians born before the American Civil War, she received an allotment. It was surprisingly discovered to be oil-rich and produced over US$300 (equivalent to $10,400 in 2025) per day, so she was known as the "Richest Colored Girl in the World".

Biography

Early life and family

Sarah Rector was born in 1902 near the all-black town of Taft, located in Indian Territory. In 1907, it was absorbed as the eastern portion of the new state of Oklahoma. She had five siblings. Her parents were Rose McQueen and husband Joseph Rector (both born 1881), who were the Black grandchildren of Creek Indians enslaved before the Civil War. Their ancestors became members of the Muscogee Creek Nation after the Treaty of 1866. As such, they and their descendants were listed as Freedmen on the Dawes Rolls. They were entitled to land allotments under the Treaty of 1866 made by the United States with the Five Civilized Tribes. Because these tribes had allied with the Confederacy, the US required new treaties by which their slaves were freed and became citizens of these nations. This paralleled the abolition of slavery in the US.

Sarah's father Joseph was the son of John Rector, a Creek Freedman. John Rector's father, Benjamin McQueen, had been enslaved by Reilly Grayson, a Creek Indian. John Rector's mother, Mollie McQueen, was enslaved by Muscogee chief Opothleyahola, who fought in the Seminole Wars and split with the tribe. He moved with his slaves and followers to Kansas.