Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-05-31


deviating as much as degree to the
north or south of the thirty ninth
parallel. By 1900 it was moved forty
one miles, and was found at a point
eighteen miles west of Baltimore. In
1910 it was near the Potomac in Virginia,
at place forty miles northwest 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
center of population, previously little
north of the thirty-ninth parallel, had
passed that line and was trife to the
south of it, at a point in the Allegheny
Mountains, nineteen miles west of Moor
field, Va, the progress westward since
1920 being thirty-nine miles. This was
the most decided southwark movement it
had made in any decade, and is explain
ed by the acquisition of Florida and the
settlement of Alabama, Mississippi, Ar
kansas and Louisiana. In the ensuing
decade the center recrossed the thirty
ninth parallel, moved fifty-fve miles
westward, and was found at a point six
teen miles south OF Clarksburg, Va.
Southern Michigan and Wisconsin and
Northern Indiana and Illinois had begun
to fill up, and their population turned
the balance to the northward. In 1850
it was still in Virginia, but close to the
Ohio River, having moved ffty-fve
miles and being at point tweIty-three
miles southeast of Parkersburg. Again
it was south of the thirty ninth parallel,
but only distance of about mile, the
DETECTION being explained by the annexa-
ton of Texas. By 1860 it had reached
point twenty miles south of Chillicothe,
O.. and little north of the thirty-ninth
parallel, having made the greatest pro-
gross ever made in decade, the distance
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
center into Highland County, Ohio,
about forty-eight miles east by north of
Cincinnati. It is believed that the ap-
parent northern movement during this
decade was caused by a defective
enumeration of the colored population of
the southern states at the census of 1870.
In 1880 the center was near the village
of Taylorsv1le, KY, about eight miles
west by south of Cincinnati, the west
ward progress being ffty-eight miles
and the DETECTION to the south about
eight. The census of 1890 will probably
discover it in Jennings County, in south
eastern Indiana.
If there Is no great change IN the rate
of western movement of population, the
central point, still travelling, as it doubt
less will, ON line closely corresponding
to the thirty-ninth 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. 1t is
not improbable, however, that it Will
never reach that stream, but will remain
nearly stationary 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 considerable areas
where grazing, which supports but
scanty population, will always be the
chief industry. The increase of popula-
ton in the trans Mississippi region may
not, therefore, much more than counter
balance 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
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 10000
to her population between 1870 and 1880,
Pennsylvania 400, 900 and Ohio $50, 600.
The increase in each of these old states
would make western state as populous
as Nebraska