Hidden Treasure Beneath the Fireplace? An Intriguing Find with a Fascinating Past!
October 31, 2024
source: imgur
Beneath the fireplace of a 1940s East LA home, an unexpected discovery was made—a hidden in-floor combination safe, a relic manufactured by Star Machine and Manufacturing. These safes, popular in the mid-20th century, were designed to keep valuables secure in the most inconspicuous of places. The model in question, identified as an SC1, bears the telltale signs of age and wear, including two small locating holes where the dial would have been attached, allowing the owner to unlock it with a specific combination.
Such safes were particularly popular from the 1960s onward, often hidden in floors, walls, or other inconspicuous spots, providing a layer of security during a period when home break-ins were a growing concern. This particular safe likely served as a secret storage space, possibly hidden during or after the Japanese internment era if the homeowner was concerned about safeguarding valuable items.
Opening the safe wasn’t an easy task; it took hours of drilling, chiseling, and dedicated work from a professional locksmith. When finally opened, however, the safe was empty—a slight disappointment but nonetheless an exciting find with a rich story behind it. The safe remains as a testament to the house’s history and a symbol of the secrets it has guarded over the decades. Now, the empty safe serves as a piece of historic intrigue, sparking curiosity about what might have once been stored inside and why it was placed in such a unique location.
