The Fortress of Depositors Trust

At the center of this growth was a bank — the Depositors Trust. It was Medford’s

largest and most trusted bank. People kept their most valuable things there — cash,

gold, jewelry, and important documents — in the bank’s safety deposit boxes.

These boxes were rented: the customer kept one key and the bank kept the other,

so a box could only be opened when both keys were present. That system was seen as a symbol

of trust and security. The safety deposit boxes were kept inside a vault that was nothing less

than a fortress. The whole vault was made of reinforced concrete and iron — its walls,

ceiling, and floor were all about 50 cm thick. In short, it was built so