Page 21 - The History of Watertown Savings Bank_Neat

The Watertown Savings Bank Mission

Helping Depositors Make Dreams a Reality

Watertown Savings Bank was started by
wealthy and educated philanthropists who
desired to create a bank for the “wage earner”
and to promote savings as a way to avoid
becoming dependent on society in future years.
These founders believed it was a “privilege
to serve and build up their community” by
teaching others who were less knowledgeable
about the importance of thrift and savings.

“Acquiring the savings habit is like building
up a character, or acquiring skill in a trade or
profession… and for that reason we should begin
as soon as possible to cultivate it,” WSB officials
wrote decades ago. From its inception, Watertown Savings Bank
has helped north country men and women save
for their future.
A Jefferson County farm. Courtesy of the Dexter Historical Society.
Many workers, not unlike those shown above
from the Perfection Cake Shoppe on Public
Square just after 1900, opened their first savings
account at Watertown Savings Bank.
Some, like William Crain (account
information at right) a farmer from Felts Mills,
made regular deposits and watched his principal
grow, helping to achieve dreams of home
ownership and financial security.

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