Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-05-07
CENTER OF POPULATION.
Census Bureau Fixes Point Six Miles
East of Columbus, Ind.


In a bulletin issued by the census bu-
reau the center of population of the Unit
ed States is reviewed at length. As pre-
viously announced, the center on June l.
1900, was six miles southeast of Column
bus, Ind. In the past ten years 1t mas
moved westward about fourteen miles
and since 100, the first census, 3lJ
miles. The center of population is deter
mined as if the surface of the country,
with the population distributed upon 1t,
were a card, and is the point at when
the card would balance. The 'median
point is located at Spartansburg, Ind.
This is the point of intersection of the
line dividing the population equally north
and south with the line dividing it equal
ly east and west. Comparison of the
movements of the center of population
and the 'median' point shows that they
do not move in parallel lines, as from
1880 to 1890 the "median" point moved
west p miles and north GO miles, while
the center of population moved west rs
miles and north miles.
Since 1890 the center of population has
moved westward little over fourteen
miles and southwark a little less than
three miles. This is the smallest move
ment of the center of population ever
noticed since the beginning of the gov
eminent. 1t seems to indicate quite
clearly that the day of abnormal in
creases in population throughout the
Western States has passed by.
The census figures show a large in
crease in the population Of the north At
lantic States and this has kept the cen
ter of population much farther east than
had been expected. In the decade ending
with 1890. there was a westward move
ment of forty-eight miles. Thus it will
be seen that in the last ten years the star
of empire has taken its way westward,
so far as population is concerned, only
one-third as rapidly as formerly. The
slight SOutherly movement of the center
of population is due to the great move
ment of people into Indian Territory, Ok
lahoma and Texas.
1t is a topic worthy of consideration,
not only by statisticians, but by ethnolo-
gists as well, that the center of popula-
ton has chung in remarkable way to the
thirty-ninth parallel of north latitude.
Assuming the westward movement to
have been uniformly along the parallel of
SO degrees of latitude, the westward
movement of the several decades has
been as follows: 1790-1S0O, forty-one
miles 1800-1S10, thirty-six miles;
1S10-1S20, fifty miles; 1S20-1S3O,
thirty-nine miles; 1S30-1840, ffty-ive
miles; 1S40-1S50. tifty-fve miles; 1850
1860, eighty-one miles; 1S60-1S70, forty
two miles; 1SI0-1SS0, fifty-eight miles;
1SS0-1S90, forty-eight miles; 1S90-1900,
fourteen miles. This Is a total westward
movement of so miles since 1T90.
Excluding Alaska, Hawaii and other
recent accessions, the center of area of
the United States is found to be in north
ern Kansas, in approximate latitude 81
degrees 90 minutes, and longitude 90 de-
grees 80 minutes. The center of popu-
lation is therefore about three-fourths of
q degree south and more than thirteen
degrees east of the center of area.
The median point is the point of inter-
section of the line dividing the population
equally north and south with the line di-
viding it equally east and west. In short,
it is the central point of the population.
1t differs from the center of population in
the fact that distance from the center is
not considered. It's movements from CEN
sus to census bear no relation to the
movements of the population, since only
movements by which bodies of population
are transferred across it's parallel or its
meridian have any influence upon its posi-
ton. To Illustrate this, a million per-
sons may move from Minnesota to Wash
ington State without affecting its posi-
ton, while the movement of a hundred
persons from Michigan to Wisconsin
might affect it appreciably.