The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-07

TIE Census bulletin just issued Iefers To
the centre of population of the United
States. including Alaska. and the recent
accessions of territory. on June l. 1902
with a discussion of the movements Of the
centre. decade by decade. during the past
century The matter was prepared by
Henry Gannett. &eographer-
BY the Twelfth Census" the bulletin
saws. the centre OF population in 1879 was
in the following position: Latitude, 50 de
Erees minutes So seconds longitude -
degrees IS minutes - seconds
In ten years the centre Of population
has moved westward Is minutes, / second
or about fourteen miles. and southwark
. minutes, - seconds or about two and
one-half miles. 1t rests now IN southern
Indiana. at a point about six miles south
east of Columbus. the county seat Of Bar
thOIomeTv county. Indiana. The surround
ingS of its location are shown "2ou the
sketch maps accompanying this bulletin
The centre Of population Is the centre
Of gravity of the population of the country
each individual being assumed 10 have the
same weight. In order that the result
might be comparable with those obtained
in 1880 and 1880 the population of Alaska
and Hawaii. although included IN the
Twelfth Census has not been Included
here The method used was IN brief as
follows:
THE population of the country was first
distributed by square degrees as the
area included between consecutive paraI-
IeIs and meridiaus has been designated
A point was then assumed, Tentatively, as
the centre. and corrections in latitude and
longitude to this tentative position were
computed. IN this case the centre was
assumed to be at the intersection of the
i III nit - q
ridian OF So degrees west Of Greenwich.
The population Of each square degree was
assumed to be located at the centre Of
that SQUARE degree except in cases where
it was manifest that this assumption
would be untrue, as, for instance where
a part of the square degree was occupied
by the sea or other large body Of wafer.
or where IL contained q civ Of COnsideTa-
bic magnitude which was situated on
centre IN these cases the position Of the
centre Of the population Of the square de-
gree was estimated as nearly as possible
The shortest distances between each such
centre Of population OF square degree
(yyhether assumed to be at, or at a dis
tance from, the centre Of the square de-
gree and the assumed parallel and ne
Ti1ian were obtained. The population OF
each square degree was then multiplied
by the shortest distance OF its centre OF
population from the assumed parallel OF
latitude, and the sums Of the products, or
moments, north and south Of tntt Parai-
lei were obtained. Their difference, di-
vided by the total population Of the coun-
try, gave correction 10 the latitude Of
the assumed centre Of population In a
similar manner the east and west mo-
uenIs were obtained. and from them
correction 10 the longitude Of the assumed
centre vas obtained
In T7C9 the centre Of population was at
60 degrees I65 minutes north latitude and
IS degrees II-2 minutes west longitude,
which comparison OF the best maps
available would seem to place about 3
miles east Of Baltimore. During the dec
ade from I7S9 10 $500 1t appears to have
moved almost due west 10 a point about
IS miles west OF the same city, being in
latitude . degrees Isl minutes and Iongi-
IUde IS degrees $50 minutes
From 1900 to 1910 it moved westward
and slightly southwark 70 q point about ~
miles northwest by west OF Washington.
being in latitude - degrees lis minutes
and longitude a degrees 81 minutes The
southwark movement during this decade
appears TO have been due TO the anneXa-
ton OF the territory OF Louisiana, which
contained quite extensive settlements.
From 1910 TO 1920 il moved westward
and again slightly southwark to d point
about 10 miles north OF Woodstock. Va,
being in latitude - degrees 81 minutes
and longitude IS degrees 3 minutes This
second southwark movement appears 10
have been due TO the extension OF settle
ments in Mississippi Alabama, and cas-
tern Georgia
ward and southwark to a point about I9
miles southwest Of 8IoOrefieId- in the pres
ent State Of West Virginia. being in lati-
tude : degrees 80 minutes and IOGgi-
tude g degrees l6-9 minutes This is the
most decided southwark movement that il
has made during any decade It appears
to have been due II part TO The addition
E4tTtLA "a
10 the great extension Of settlements in
Alabama. louisiana Mississippi, and Ar
the Southwest.
From 1880 10 1870 il moved still farther
westward, but slightly changed its diTeC-
ton nprtnWard- reaching a point SIX
teen miles south Of CIarksburg. in the
present State OF West Virginia, being in
latitude - degrees , minutes and iOngl-
tUde 50 degrees i minutes During this
decade settlement had made decIleG ad-
Nances in the prairie States and in the
southern portions OF Michigan and Wis
COnSin. the balance OF increased settle
ment evidently being IN favor Of the
From 1880 to $3.50 Il moved westward
and slightly southwark again, reaching
q point about JWeHty-Lhree miles south
east 81 ParkeTsbUTg. in the present STATE
Of West Virginia, in latitude y degrees
- minutes and longitude 81 degrees -
minutes the change Of direction south
ward being largely due 70 the annexation
Of Texas.
From 1890 10 1869 it moved west ward
and slightly uoTthWard- reaching a point
twenty miles south of Chillicothe. Ohio,
this being in latitude . degrees % min
ut-s, longitude s. degrees SIS minutes.
From 1880 TO 1870 il moved westward
and sharply uoTthwaTd. reaching a point
about foTJy-gIEhI miles east by north Of
Cincinnati Ohio. in latitude - degrees Z
minutes longitude s. degrees 559 min
UteS. This uOTthWa-d movement was due
Ga part 70 waste and destruction in the
South, consequent upon the civil war and
IN part, probably, TO The. fact that the
census Of 1879 was defective IN its emu
r7eratiorl OF the Southern people espe-
cially Of the newly enfrauchised negro
population.
In 1880 the centre Of population had re-
turned southwark to nearly the same lati-
Jude which il had in 1860 being in latitude
= degrees IL minutes. longitude 81 de-
<regs 81 minutes. This southwark move
Enent was due only in part to an imper-
feet enumeration at the South in 1870.
During the decade from 1870 TO 1880 the
Southern States made large positive in
crease both from natural growth and
from migration southwark
In 1890 the centre Of population had
moved norJhward into practically the
same latitude 81 occupied IN 1870. This
noTthward movement was largely due TO
the great development in the cities Of the
ton, and also TO the increase Of Uopula-
ton in New England It's position was IL
latitude g degrees II minutes IS seconds
and longitude S. degrees 3 minutes So
seconds
During the past decade the centre OF
population has moved westward Is min
utes l second. q little over fourteen miles