John Burnside Started Heating Company Fifteen Years Ago.
Niles Daily Times June 17, 1939
Fifteen years ago this month the Burnside Heating Company was started in Niles. It had its beginnings in a little shop on Linden Avenue and remained in that location until three years ago when it moved to its modern rooms at 51 State Street. John Burnside, the owner of the business, has been in the heating business for the past eighteen years. He took his first training from the Skinner Furnace Company in Cleveland, then worked in this business in Warren for three years prior to opening his own shop here in Niles.

Burnside Heating was located in this building at 148 North Main Street.

Burnside Heating was located in this building at 148 North Main Street. Photograph ca 1960.

As another phase of his business Mr. Burnside does repair work on all makes of heating systems and installs and repairs roofing and spouting. He installed the tile roof on the Mt. Carmel Church and Parsonage which is to date the largest tile roofing construction in Niles.

Mr. Burnside, in addition to taking care of his regular business has found time to invent and patent a rural gas generator called the Burnside Rural Gas Generator which is designed to bring the comfort and convenience of gas to those living beyond the limits of the city gas mains.

Mr. Burnside expresses great confidence in the future of air-conditioning in Niles and expresses the belief it will not be many years before no home will be without this, the most modern of all heating and ventilating plants.


Three and a half years ago, John Burnside’s son, Walter, entered the firm, upon completion of his college education, which included engineering and heating courses at Miami University, Michigan State University and Youngstown College.

Grandmother Burnside standing on front porch on Linden Avenue.

Grandmother Burnside standing on front porch on Linden Avenue.

Niles Daily Times July 1940
Mr. and Mrs. C.G. Hoskins, Mesopotamia, announce the engagement and forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Hope Elinor, to Walter D. Burnside, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Burnside, Jr. of Niles. The wedding is planned for Sunday, August 25, the birthday anniversary of both Miss Hoskins and Mr. Burnside.

Hope and Walter would later have two sons, (Walter) Denny and Barry and a daughter, Bonnie.They would rent a house on Orchard Avenue next to the Ash Path and later purchase a home on Hartzell Avenue.

Denny (1942-2022) graduated from The Ohio State University in 1968 with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. While at OSU, he won many awards from the university, IEEE and AMTA. He also won the Distinguished Public Service Award from NASA which is the highest form of recognition for a non-government employee. In addition, he was named Emeritus Professor which he still held. In 2010, he founded NeWave Sensor Solutions, an RFID innovation small business. While working at OSU he and Robert Burkholder created a novel RFID antenna, which they patented and formed the basis of NSS.

Niles Daily Times newspaper advertisement for Burnside Heating Company located at 51 East State Street, published December 12, 1942.