08/14/2026
HISTORY POST: When the locals ask where did the name of our space come from? Well here is a bit of historical information on Burdette's.
Burdette S. Smith (born June 6, 1876, in Ludington, Michigan) was a self-made businessman in Lorain, Ohio, known in the early 20th century as the head of an electrical contracting firm and automobile garage/dealership.
His early life was marked by hardship. His father, Samuel Smith, worked as a foreman in Northern Michigan lumber camps during the industry’s peak. After his mother Loretta’s death, the family home broke up. With only limited public-school education, young Burdette went to New York City, where he sold newspapers on the streets before finding work with a telephone company. He advanced from operator to switchboard and cable work, eventually becoming a foreman. This experience gave him practical expertise in electrical construction and operations that shaped his career.
In 1900 he moved to Lorain to take charge of the telephone department at the National Tube Company (a major local steel-related employer). He later organized the Lorain Electrical Construction Company, serving as manager, secretary, and treasurer. In September 1914 he acquired controlling interest and renamed it the Lorain Electric & Auto Company. By 1916 it was described as a substantial local business. Smith built a two-story brick plant (33 by 143 feet) for shops and garage use, plus a separate two-story warehouse (25 by 50 feet). In addition to electrical contracting and general repair work, the firm held the local agency for Ford and Buick automobiles.
