The Girl Who Struck Oil: The Remarkable Life of Sarah Rector

In 1913, deep in the heart of Oklahoma, an 11-year-old Black girl named Sarah Rector became one of the richest children in America. Her story is not just one of sudden wealth—it’s a tale of resilience, racial injustice, and a young girl’s fight to control her own destiny.

Sarah was born in 1902 near Taft, Oklahoma, a town founded by freed Black people. Her family were descendants of the Creek Nation and were listed as Freedmen on the Dawes Rolls, which entitled them to land allotments under the Treaty of 1866. Sarah was granted 159 acres of land—land that was considered barren and worthless by officials, who reserved fertile plots for white settlers.

Her father, struggling to pay the annual property tax, leased the land to the Standard Oil Company. What happened next was nothing short of miraculous. In 1913, a wildcat driller struck a gusher on Sarah’s land, producing 2,500 barrels of oil a day. Suddenly, Sarah was earning $300 a day—equivalent to over $10,000 today.

But with wealth came danger.

Because of laws at the time, Black children with significant assets were often assigned white guardians. Sarah’s guardianship was quickly transferred from her parents to a white man named T.J. Porter, sparking concern and controversy. Newspapers began calling her “the richest colored girl in the world,” and her story drew national attention. Some feared she would be exploited or lose control of her fortune.

Despite the odds, Sarah Rector remained grounded. She attended school, managed her finances, and eventually moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where she lived in a grand home and entertained guests like Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois. She married, had children, and continued to invest in businesses and real estate.

Her life was a quiet triumph against a backdrop of systemic racism and legal manipulation. She proved that Black excellence could thrive—even when the system tried to suppress it.

Sarah Rector’s legacy is more than oil and money. It’s about a young girl who defied expectations, protected her future, and became a symbol of possibility for generations to come.