You may recognize the Rector Mansion, but do you know about who once lived in it? Though the odds were stacked against her, Sarah Rector’s story is one of great luck.
curiousKC dug through old newspaper clips, maps that show plots of land and photos of Rector herself to answer the question: “Who was Sarah Rector and why was she considered the ‘richest Black girl in Missouri?'”
Watch the video above for a brief history of the woman behind the mansion.
Find more of these curiousKC stories by visiting our archive or look for a new one every Monday.
Reading these stories is free, but telling them is not. Start your monthly gift now to support Flatland’s community-focused reporting.
Related Stories
The Fight Against Forgetting 9/11
Schools, nonprofits, and firefighters work to ensure Kansas Citians remember the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as the nation marks the 25th anniversary of the tragedy.
25 Years Later, Still Trying to Make Sense of 9/11
Flatland columnist Bill Tammeus reflects on the "misguided, ugly and wildly destructive version of Islam" that drove the 9/11 hijackers.
The Checkered History of Bruce R. Watkins Drive
East Side residents have long complained that this stretch of U.S Highway 71 cleaved Black neighborhoods. The road is also considered unsafe for pedestrians and drivers.


