True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-08-18
Pittsburgh the Centre Of our Popula-
tiOn

PlttsDurgn the Uentre OF our P0pula-
ton
The Newburgh Telegraph under!a kes
10 refute recent article in the EUening
Post, which showed that the march Of
the centres of population and industrial
influence on this continent is westward
and TO The north Of west, in line drawn
through Pittsburgh, the present centre Of
population on the continent, and Chicago,
the probable centre fifty years hence
and thence extended TO the Pacific ocean
this line indicating the track over
which emigration will 60, led BY the
Fraser river discoveries 1: where towns
and villages will fist spring up; and
therefore where the first Pacific Railroad
will be built.
The Telegraph says:
"The present centre Of our American
population the Evening Post places a
little west Of Pittsburgh-I should haze
stated hat this is the geographical cen.
ire, as the context would have indicated
the location on other principles"
We are unable to comprehend what is
meant by geographical centre Of popu-
ation.
The above, from the New York
Euening Post, says the Commercial
Journal, recalls to US the fact that some
discussion has taken place among stati.
clans as to where the present centre of
population of these United States is.
Washington City at the time ii became
the capitol Of the Union and for many
years afterwards was not far from the
centre of population. That centre with
each ten years census has moved more
and more towards the Northwest, and
now, as is alleged, west and north OF
Pitsburgb--but cannot be SO far north
as the Chicago and Fraser river line
would indicate. We have never attempt.
ed to work out this problem ourselves,
but distinctly remember reading an elab.
crate article in Hunts Merchants Mag
asine Of four or FIVE years ago, in which
this point was discussed. That article
claimed that point not far from the
Ohio river 10 western Virginia, near the
southwestern corner of Pennsylvania, W as
the true geographical centre of popula-
lation Of the United States. Both these
calculations agree in the general fact that
the geographical centres of our population
are moving westward rapidly and slightly
north. Both nearly agree in the west
ward motion about four degrees Of long
ilude, but differ in latitude. The south
western angle Of Pennsylvania being only
about one degree north of Washington,
while line to meet the above description
would probably fall at some point In Col.
umbiana county, Ohio. two degrees north
Of Washington. II The Magazines calcu.
la!ion is correct, then the line would be
prolonged nearly in the direction Of Col
ambus, Ohio, and Peoria, Illinois the
| centre of 1850 would probably give a
point little west Of GAINESVILLE, Ohio. Il
the New York Evening Posts calcula-
lion is correct, then the centre line o.
population will be nearly that Of the
Pittsburgh & Chicago Railroad, and the
next by census Of 1860 near Wooster
Ohio. We have not all the elements a
hand to make this calculation, nor tht
time to do it. We make these suggest
ions 10 call the attention Of others 10 il.
IT'S useless to make any further calcu
lations upon the subject. The corner 0
4th and Market streets, Steubenyille
Ohio, is the precise point.