The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-01-04
CENTER OF POPULATION
IS NOW IN INDIANA
ITS SLOW MOVEMENT WEST
WARD is RECORDED
SINCE 1890.

1t was nearly three centuries after
the discovery of America that the
people living along the Atlantic coast
began to migrate westward, and 1t was
very slow at first owing to inaccessi-
BILE means of transit and the unsettled
condition of the western section, due
to hostile Indian tribes and other OBJ
stacles 1t was not until after the
Revolutionary war that an effort was
made to obtain an exact accounting of
the number of persons living in the
United States.
In 1890, when the first census was
enumerated, it was found that the CEN
ter of population of the country was
23 miles east of Baltimore, Md, Dur
ing the decade that followed 1890 to
1900, this center appears to have NOV
Is miles west of the same city.
From 1900 to 1910 the center skipped
by Washington to the northward and
westward, being located finally to a
point about 40 miles northwest by
west of Washington. The southwark
movement during this decade was due
to the annexation of Louisiana, which
contained quite extensive settlements,
enough to draw the center of popula-
ton off its purely westward course.
During the 10 years between 1910
and 1904 tho nnnnlation ,,,nUad uact =
ward again and still slightly to the
south to a point about 16 miles north
of Woodstock, Va. This second south
ward movement appears to have been
due to the existence of settlements in
Mississippi Alabama and eastern
Georgia.
From 1920 to 1880 the center moved
still further westward and southwark
to point about 10 miles southwest of
Moorefeld, in the present state of
West Virginia. This is the most de-
cided southwark movement that it has
made during any decade, This was
due, in part, to the addition of Florida
to our territory, and in part to the
great extension of settlements in Ala
bama, Louisiana, Mississippi and
Arkansas.
From 1880 to 1910 there was another
westward movement. but, slightly
changing the direction northward,
reaching a point is miles south of
w. Va. During this decade
had made decided adj
in the prairie states and in the
northern portions of Michigan and
From 1910 to 1850 ii moved westward
and slightly southwark again, to
point about 23 miles southeast of Par
which change was due
largely to the annexation of Texas.
From 1850 to 1860 1t moved westward
md northward to a point 20 miles
south of Chillicothe, Ohio.
From 1860 to 1870 the course was
westward and slightly northward,
'eaehing point 4S miles east of Gin
,innati, and in 1880 the census plac-
ID the center of population again
nearly in the same latitude
t had been in 1860, During the decade |
rom 1870 to 1880 the southern states
howed a large increase both from
latural growth and migration. and the !
enter of population in 1880 was 8
niles southwest of Cincinnati.
In 1890 the center of population had
moved northward into practically the
anne latitude 1t occupied in 1870, but
eastward until It was 20 miles east Of
Ind. The movement during
he next decade was the slewest of
n.y. the distance from point to point
! direct line was only IA miles, and
he center was miles southeast of
but when the census of
30 was taken 1t was found to have
lmped 80 miles and is now in the city :
Bloomington, Ind. 1t is not likely
lat the next census will show any
cry great change, as the people of
e country have arrived at a more or :
IS settled condition as to residence. !,
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