News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-06-01
THE CENTRE OF POPULATION.
How 1t Has Travelled From Point to
Point Since 1900.
TErom the New York Tribune. I

From the New York Tribune.l
A volume recently issued from the
Census Office, embracing a portion of
the statistics gathered at the enumeration
of 1880, contains, among many valuable
maps illustrating the distribution, den
sity and character of population, dia-
gram which shows how the centre of
population has shifted from decade to
decade, since 1870, in its steady march
westward.
The first census of the United States,
taken in 1870, showed the centre of
population to be on the Eastern Shore
of Maryland about twenty-five miles
from Baltimore and near the thirty
ninth parallel of latitude. From that
point it has moved westward at the
average rate of about fifty-one miles in
decade, never deviating as much a
degree to the north or south of the
thirty-ninth parallel. By 1900 1t had
moved forty-one miles, and was found
at point eighteen miles west of Balti-
more.
In 1910 it was near the Potomac, in
Virginia, at a place forty miles north
west of Washington, having travelled
thirty-six miles during the preceding
decade. Its progress in the following
ten years was fifty miles, and in 1920 it
was in the Valley of Virginia sixteen
miles north of Woodstock.
The census of 1880 discovered that
the centre of population, previously a
little north of the thirty-ninth parallel,
had passed that line and was a trif1e to
the south of it, at point in the Ale
ghany Mountains nineteen miles west of
Moorefield, Virginia, the progress west
ward since 1920 being thirty nine miles.
This was the most decided southwark
movement it has made In any decade,
and is explained by the acquisition of
Florida and the settlement of Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas.
In the ensuing decade the centre re-
crossed the thirty-ninth parallel,
moved fifty-five miles westward, and
was found at point sixteen miles south
of Clarksburg, Virginia. Southern
Michigan and Wisconsin and Northern
Indiana and Illinois had begun to fill
up, and their population turned the bal
ance to the northward.
In 1850 it was still in Virginia, but
close to the Ohio River, having moved
fifty-fve miles and being at a point
twenty-three miles southeast of Park
ersburg. Again it was south of the
thirty ninth parallel, but only dis
lance of about mile, the DETECTION
being explained by the annexation of
Texas. By 1860 it had reached point
twenty miles south of Chillicothe, Ohio,
and little north OF the thirty-ninth
parallel, having made the greatest pro-
gress ever made in a decade, the dis
lance from the last point being eighty
one miles. This remarkable movement
was caused by the settlement of the
Pacific Coast-twelve persons in San
Francisco, by reason of their distance
from the pivotal point, counterbalancing
forty persons in Boston.
The next step was forty-two miles
westward, and about twelve northward,
which brought the centre into High
land County, Ohio, about forty eight
miles east by north of Cincinnati. It
is believed that the apparent northern
movement during this decade was
caused by defective enumeration of
the colored population of the Southern
States at the census of 1870. In 1880
the centre was near the village of Tay-
louisville, Kentucky, about eight miles
west by south of Cincinnati, the west
ward progress being fifty-eight miles
and the detection to the south about
eight. The census of 1890 will proba-
bly, discover it in Jennings County in
southeastern Indiana.
Ii there is no great change in the rate
of western movement of population, the
central point, still travelling, as it
doubtless will, on line closely CORE
spending to the seth parallel of latitude,
will not cross the Mississippi River I'M
til 1850, when it will be found not far
from the mouth of the Missouri. It is
not improbable, however, that it will
never reach that stream, but will re-
main nearly stationary somewhere in
southern Illinois. There are large
areas of country in the Far West unfit |
for habitation, save where deposits of
the precious metals are found, and other
areas where grazing,
which supports but scanty popula-
ton, will always be the chief industry.
The increase of population in the
trans Mississippi region may not, there
fore, much more than counterbaiance |
the increase in the older settled portion
of the country after the close of the
present century. In estimating the
changes and progress of the future we
must not forget that, marvellous as is
the growth of the New West, it is only
a little more rapid than that of the great
middle region between the Hudson and
the Mississippi. The State of New
York, it must be remembered, added
100000 to her population between 1870
md 1880, Pennsylvania 400, 900, and
Ohio $50, ZOO. The increase in each of
hese old States would make Western
State as populous as Nebraska.