The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-08-02
CENTER OF POPULATION.


Where WIN the Next Census Locate Its
There Is considerable speculation as to
will locate the center Of population of the
Unite States. Since the first enumera-
ton of 1880 this point has been moving
westward at from thirty-six to eighty zone
miles for each decade. In the early his
tory OF the country the population was
confined to very hin fringe along the
Atlantic seabcard between Boston and
Savannah. The population was well bal
anced between the two extremes from
north to south and Baltimore, being very
near the middls point In the lines was
aiso the approximate center OF population.
The movement of the people has been,
since the first census westwnrily, and the
central point has, Of course, followed the
same direction. The spot desi xnated ms
the center, when the population is con-
sidered, Is the place about which the
people ara most evenly distributed on all
sides, or IL Is the locality which the lsrg-
est number of people. In all directions.
could reach with the least amount Of
travelling. 1t is curious to notice that,
from first TO last, the point designated tie
center OF population has been along the
3yth parallel of latitude and very close
TO IL. having crossed IL three or four
times, and this indicates another fact,
which is that the large cities of the coun-
try are lo,aJed at no great distance from
that parallel.
In l7s0 the center OF population was q
little south, and twenty three miles east,
OF Baltimore. In the next ten years ID
moved forty miles almns. exactly due
west. In 1910 1t moved thirty-six milts
west, to a point near the Potomac river,
forty miles northwest from Washington
and about twenty south we st Of Frader q
City. In the next decade the oentsr
iourneyed west fifty miles and was locnt-
ed sixteen miles north OF Woodstock, Va
Between 1870 and ls3) the movement was
still west thirtS nine miles, to poIitioa
just south OF the thirty ninth parallel.
In the next ten years the point passed
north Of the parallel and fifty-five miles
to the west. In 1850 the pivot was found
to have made a farther stride to the west
than in any previous ten years and that
1t han progressed from place near Park
ersburg, W. Va. to a location twenty
m lies south of Cnillicothe, o.. distance
OF eighty -one miles. The effect OF the
war on the south Is shown by the north
erly trend of the pivotal point in the
decade between 1861 an d 1870 for it was
by the ninth census, located forty-two
miles further west and 70. ty -sight miles
northeast OF Cincinnati, twelve minutes
of latitude 10 the north of it's position in
is60. In 1850 the center passed fifty eight
miles west and to location eight miles
southwest Of Cincinnati. At the taking
OF the last census. In 1890, the center had
crossed into Indiana to point foTty-eight
miles still farther west and twenty miles
east Of Coium bus. or tive miles south of
GreensbuFg. In making these calcula-
lions the census bureau takes no account
Of Alaska, but such an omission does not
change the results materially. The geo
graphical center of area including
Alaska, Ia near Fort Riley, in ka nEas,
but a line drawn across the country from
the extreme western Alaskan island TO
the Atlantic would placs the geographical
center In the Pacific ocean, as these
islands extend about as far west of San
Francisco as that city Is west OF Boston.
The following table shows the move.
ment Of the center Of population since
1910:
Westward
Apprxl- movement