Kansas City Council to vote on ordinance honoring Sarah Rector, America’s first Black woman millionaire

This afternoon, the Kansas City Council unanimously voted in favor of on an ordinance designating the block of Euclid Avenue between 11th and 12th Streets as “Sarah Rector Way” in honor of Sarah Rector, known as America’s first Black woman millionaire. The street designation is adjacent to her historic home, the Rector Mansion, at 2000 E. 12th Street.

Sarah Rector‘s remarkable story began when she inherited oil-rich land in Oklahoma as a child in the early 1900s, making her one of the wealthiest Black Americans of her time. She later moved to Kansas City, where the Rector Mansion became a landmark of Black prosperity and achievement.

This designation coincides with the Kansas City premiere of a feature film, Sarah’s Oil, about Rector’s life on October 29th.

Direct decedents of Sarah Rector were present to receive the honorary street signs. “We, the grandchildren of Sarah Rector, are honored by the City’s decision to name a street after our grandmother, Sarah Rector. This recognition affirms her legacy as a creek Freedman and trailblazer, whose story deserves too be seen and remembered,” said Sarah Campbell, granddaughter of Sarah Rector. “Sarah Rector Way is more than a name, its a step toward visibility and truth. We would like to thank everyone who helped make this possible.”

Sarah Rector was born in 1902 in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) and became a millionaire as a child after oil was discovered on land she inherited. Her wealth made national headlines and attracted attention from around the world. She later moved to Kansas City, where the Rector Mansion became a landmark of Black prosperity during the early 1900s.

Sarah Rector’s story had been misrepresented for decades by the media, to the frustration of her relatives. Photos that appeared in newspapers were also not of her. Rector’s family members contacted historian Diane Euston to set the record straight.

The story first appeared in the January 10th, 2020 issue of the Martin City Telegraph. The corrected story took off and was reported by media throughout the country.

Signage for “Sarah Rector Way” will be installed in the coming days, along with an interim historic marker at the Rector Mansion.

The designation received unanimous support from residents on the affected block, including the owner of the Rector Mansion.