Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-07-21
: 90 $50 -
''CENTER' MOVES,
Uncle Sans Shifting Pop
u|atlon Shown by Census
Central Point Has Gone Due
West Since 1890,
Way Central Point Is Located :
Now Near Columbus, Ind,

hosNoh' July So-Every ten years. or
""en 'iie census is taken. the centre of
population OF the United States is
,ooi'a TO have shifted, writes the
W :" "SiiiIlston correspondent of the
Transcript. For the last ten years this
centre has been at point six miles
southeast Of Columbus, Ind. I.avman
iiotlhS the progress of the point for
several decades past, are inclined to
thlnk that the centre will still remain
WITHIN the boundaries of the Hoosier
state, but they know nothing about if
NhlIc the officers of the Census Rureau
refuse 10 speculate on the proposition.
1he census figures SO far made public
SNOW that there has been an enormous
increase In population in the southwest
"u'lhS TIE last ten years. The north
west mas also grown rapidly in popula-
tioh. During the last two weeks. fig
ures Tor counties in Texas have been
coming out, and they show that coun-
Ties winch ten years ago We're sparselv
settled now have from 15.OOO to % OOO
population each. The remarkable in
crease in the population in what is
now the State of Oklahoma must also
speculation as to where the centre of
population is likely to light" If one
examined the returns from the south
west and the northwest without taking
into account the fact that the East
also increased it's population within the
last ten years, he would be inclined to
say that the centre of population
would be pulled considerable distance
westward. A fact worth bearing in
mind is that the increases in popuia-
ton in the East particularly have been
in the larger cities, and it is true of
course. that there are more large cit
les in the East than in the West. An
other fact that will undoubtedly have a
bearing on the centre of population"
is that the millions of immigrants who
have come in during the last ten years
have nearly all compel in the eastern
section of the country
The "Centre Of Population"
BY the census of 1900 the centre of
population is in the following position:
Latitude, 80 degrees, nine minutes, Sc
seconds.
Longitude, So degrees, As minutes, "a
seconds
This particular spot, as is generally
known. is at point six miles south
east of Columbus, Indiana, and is
marked by q monument erected by the
indianapolis News. In the ten years
from 1890 to 1900 the centre of popula-
ton moved westward 16 minutes and
one second, or about fourteen miles.
and southwark minutes and 20 sec
OndS. or about 2M miles.
ic q cnr,o tivp1y aacv r11tfor n
ascertain the centre of population after
the total count of the people of the
country is known. This total count for
the thirteenth census will not be
known before the first of October. and
possibly not before the first of Novcm-
Der. The method of arriving at the
centre of population is thus described
nv the Census Bureau: 1.-The popula-
ton of the country is first distributed
by square degrees. as the area inculd-
cd between consecutive parallels and
meridians has been designated. A
point is then assumed. tentatively, as
the centre and correction in latitude
and longitude to this tentative position
are computed. Ten years ago, the CEN
tire was assumed to be at the intersec-
ton of the parallel of 30 degrees north
with the meridian of sc degrees west of
Greenwich. The population of each
square degree was assumed to be To-
Gated at the centre of that square de-
gree except in cases where it was
manifest that this assumption. would
be untrue. as. for instance. where
part of the square degree was occu-
MED by the sea or other large body or
water or where it contained city of
considerable magnitude which was sit
uated off centre In these cases the
position of the centre of the population
to the square degree was estimated as
nearly as possible. The shortest dis
tance between each such centre of
population of the square degree (Whe-
ther assumed to be at. or distance
from. the centre of the square degree)
and tho assumed parallel and meridian.
were obtained The population of each
square degree was then multiplied by
the shortest distance of its centre Of
population from the assumed paraiiei
of latitude. and the sums of the pro-
ducts, or moments. north and south or
that rarallel were obtained lhe'r
differences divided by the total popu-
lation Of the country gave a correc-
tion to the latitude of the assumed CEN
ire of population. In similar manner
the east and west movements we're Cd
tanned. and from them a correction TO
tho longitude of the assumed centre
was obtained"
History Of the Central Point.
The centre of population has moved
almost due westward since 1870. when
it was at a point some twenty-three
miles east Of Baltimore. From 1870 to
1900 It moved almost due west to a
noint eighteen miles west of Baltimore.
In the next ten years. from lso0 10 DIV
il moved westward and slightly south
ward to a point about forty miles
northwest by west of Washington ~
q That slight deviation toward the
south was accounted for by the annex
alton of the Territory of LOUISIANA.
From 1910 to 1920 it took up its march
westward again with another sisht
deviation to the south. and brought up
sixteen miles north of Woodstock, va.