The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-05-21
THE CENTER OF POPULATION.
Marked by Monument of Limestone
Located Twenty Miles East Of Co.
lulnbus, Ind.
Especial to the New York Press. !

Especial to the New 1ork Press.
COLUMBUS, Ind, May 10.-The un-
yelling of the monument at the center
of population of the United States,
twenty miles east of this city, to-day at
, p. m. was an important event, anG
will 60 into history as the second of
the kind in the century, the first being
in 1910 and the place twenty-three
miles west of Washington city, in the
District Of Columbia; which yet re-
mains a flat stone on which was then
cut, "Center of Population" The
monument erected to-day was of oblitic
limestone taken from Bedford (Ind.)
quarries, weighs four tons, is fifteen
feet high and bears the inscription,
"Center of Population Of the United
States.n
In 100 the center of population was
about twenty-three miles east of Balti-
more. During the decade from 1870
to 1900 it appears to have moved al
esssst due west to point about eigh-
I1. 9ass west of the same city. The
W. asysd westward and
next decade 2 snoaNeaeap-;n+ aho,+
slightly southwark to a pofses,or,
forty miles northwest by west fSM
Washington. The southwark move
ment during this period appears to
have been due to the annexation of the
Territory of louisiana, which con-
tanned quite extensive settlements.
From 1910 to 1876 it moved westward
and again slightly southwark to a
point about sixteen miles north of
Woodstock, Va. The second south
ward movement appears to have been
due to the extension of settlement in
Mississippi, Alabama and Eastern
Georgia. From 1920 to 1880 it moved
still westward and southwark to a
point about nineteen miles south
west of Moorfield, in the present State
of West Virginia. This is the most
decided southwark movement that it
has made during any decade. 1t ap-
pears to have been due in part to the
addition Of Florida territory, and ia
part to the great extension of settle
ments III Louisiana, Mississippi and
Arkansas, or generally, it may be said,
in the Southwest, but slightly changed
it direction northward, reaching point
sixteen miles south of Clarksburg, W.
Va. During this decade settlement
had made decided advances IT, the
prairie States and is the southern pcr-
tions of Michigan and Wisconsin, the
balance of increased settlement evil
IDENTIFY being in favor of the North
west.
From 1910 to 1850 it moved west
ward and slightly southwark again,
reaching a point about twenty-three
miles southeast Of Parkersburg, w. Va.
the change of direction southwark BE-
ing largely due to the annexation of
Texas. From 1850 to 1860 it moved
westward and slightly northward,
reaching point twenty miles south Of
Chillicothe, Ohio. From 1860 to 1870
it moved westward and sharply north
ward, reaching point about forty
eight miles east by north of Cincinnati,
Ohio. In 1880 the center of population
had returned southwark to nearly the
same latitude which it had in 1850.
This southwark movement was due
only in part to an imperfect enumera-
tion at the South in 1870. During the
decade between 1870 and 1880 the
Southern States made large positive
increase both from natural growth and
from immigration southwark.
During the past decade the center of
population has moved northward into |
practically the same Latitude which it |
occupied in 1870. 1t has moved west
forty-eight miles, being less by ten |
miles than its movement during the !
preceding decade; six miles greater
than the movement between 1860 and |
1870, and slightly less than the average
westward movement since the first
census its present position being in
latitude 80 deg. II minutes 50 seconds
and longitude IS degrees 80 minutes So
seconds.