On September 9, 1949, The Gettysburg Times displayed a large advertisement for Eddie’s Cleaners. The company was located on East King Street in Littlestown, PA. The ad read in part; “Presenting Adams County’s newest and most complete cleaning service.” It was noted that in addition to providing dry cleaning and laundry services, the establishment employed a staff of tailors and dyers. “A fleet of Eddie's Cleaners trucks is ready to serve.”

Not long after the above ad was run, Eddie's provided the residents of every small town within a reasonable driving distance surrounding Littlestown, with a yellow cardboard card of about 5 ¼ by 8 ¼ inches. When one needed cleaning service, they simply placed the yellow card in a window on the street side of their house.

In the early 1950’s I was very young and living in Bonneauville. I found it astounding that my mother could make a passing delivery van (one of Eddie’s fleet) stop at our house on Hanover Street just by placing a small card in the front window. For most towns the pickups and deliveries were only made one or two days a week. Someone had hand written Mon. and Thu on this card - likely as a reminder of laundry days.

During the Mid- 20th Century Bonneauville was a Catholic community of large families with minimal wealth. A few years might pass between the times when mother would retrieve the Eddies card from storage and have something dry cleaned. She, as most ladies of the town, did her own washing, dyeing, and sewing. Few Eddie’s cards were ever seen in any houses of the town on pick-up/delivery day. Still Eddie's faithfully sent one of their fleet our way weekly, for decades, as promised.

Eventually Eddie's would have business locations in Littlestown, Gettysburg, and Harrisburg, PA, and Frederick, MD, (and perhaps others).

This card reads: ”Put this card in window for Eddie’s Cleaners-Tailors-Dyers-Launderers. STOP.