Near Kirkwood in St. Louis County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Road Rollers
Photographed by Thomas Smith, February 8, 2026
1. Road Rollers Marker
Road rollers are heavy construction vehicles used to compact and level surfaces. They are integral in the building of roads, airfields, and foundations. While early examples were drawn by horse or oxen, steam-powered rollers were first produced in the mid-nineteenth century. Road rollers featuring an internal combustion engine gradually replaced steam technology in the twentieth century.
Exhibited here are three examples of road rollers manufactured in the 1920s. The two steam-powered rollers were produced by the Buffalo-Springfield Roller Company in Springfield, Ohio. The third example was built by the Austin-Western Road Machinery Company in Aurora, Illinois. The Austin-Western roller, equipped with a gasoline-powered engine manufactured by the Buda Company, demonstrates the transition from steam-powered roller design to internal combustion power.
Buffalo-Springfield Roller Co. Steam Roller #11523
Year Built: 1921
Donor: Willam S, Robert W, and Richard L. Abbot (1981)
Buffalo-Springfield Roller Co. Steam Roller 14073
Year Built: 1928
Donor My Equipment Co. (1954)
Austin Western Co. Gasoline-PoweredRoad Roller #113218
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Year Built: Circa 1920s
Donor: Maplewood Construction Company (1981)
Erected by National Museum of Transportation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1920.
Location. 38° 34.396′ N, 90° 27.857′ W. Marker is near Kirkwood, Missouri, in St. Louis County. It is on Barrett Station Road 0.1 miles north of Ozark Drive, on the right when traveling south. The marker and steam roller are 100 m W of the National Museum of Transportation building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2933 Barrett Station Rd, Saint Louis MO 63122, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater St. Louis. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, in the Corn Belt, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Antebellum
Photographed by Thomas Smith, February 8, 2026
2. Road Rollers Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: #J13218 (here, next to this marker); F/A-18 E1 Super Hornet (a few steps from this marker); F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet (a few steps from this marker); #3 "Aerotrain" (within shouting distance of this marker); St. Joe Minerals Corporation Shovel (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); St. Joe Mining Corporation Ore Train #5441 (about 300 feet away); Museum of Transportation - A Layout of the Land (about 300 feet away); Who Is Owney The Dog? (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kirkwood.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 9, 2026, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. This page has been viewed 71 times since then. Last updated on June 26, 2026, by Garrett Koch of Saint Louis, Missouri. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 9, 2026, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
