Who invented the laundromat?

The electric-powered washing machine, invented in 1908, was a great time- and sweat-saving device-but only for those who could afford it and had regular electricity. J.F. Cantrell noticed that many in his Fort Worth community didn't fit that description. In 1934, Cantrell purchased four electric washing machines and installed them in the same building. He charged people by the hour to clean their clothes in his "washateria," now better known as a laundromat.