History of Wheelbarrows Used in Masonry Work

Chattanooga contractor's wheelbarrow 1922

Wheelbarrows, or barrows as they were once called, carts, buggies, sleds, and rollers have been used to carry brick, stone, mortar, and concrete for centuries. They were used to move material around construction sites, stone quarries, brickyards, and onto and off wagons, railroad cars, and ships.

While I am not aware of any wheelbarrow collectors, there is an active market for old wheelbarrow manufacturer's catalogs on US eBay. Some US manufacturers include these companies:

Brick or tile barrows 1902

Akron Barrow Co., Akron, Ohio

American Steel Scraper Co., Sidney, Ohio

Bryan Manufacturing Co., Bryan, Ohio

Buckeye Products Co., Cincinnati, Ohio

Bull Frog, made by Toledo Wheelbarrow Co., Toledo, Ohio

Chattanooga Wheelbarrow Co., Chattanooga, Tennessee

The Fairbanks Co., Rome, Georgia

Gar-Bro Manufacturing Co., Los Angeles, California; Heber Springs, Arkansas

General wheelbarrow by Dico Co., Des Moines, Iowa

Jackson Manufacturing Co., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Kilbourne & Jacobs Manufacturing Co., Columbus, Ohio (history)

Lansing Wheelbarrow Co., Lansing, Michigan

McWhinnie Wheelbarrows, Poughkeepsie, New York

Nason Manufacturing Co., New York City, New York

Sidney Steel Scraper Co., Sidney, Ohio

Sterling Wheelbarrow Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Western Iron Works, Sims & Morris, San Francisco, California

Western Wheelbarrow and Manufacturing Co., Kansas City, Missouri

Wood Shovel & Tool Co., Piqua, Ohio

Stone barrow from S.D. Kimbark's Illustrated Catalogue, 1876

Sims & Morris wheelbarrow, 1888

Sterling Wheelbarrow Co., photo credit Daniel Pawlik