The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-05-13

In 1880 the center of population had returned
south to nearly the latitude occupied in 1850,
being in Kentucky. Just south OF the Ohio river,
eight miles west by south Of Cincinnati; but
in 1890, owing to the great increase Of population
in the cities of the northwest in the state Of
Washington and also in New England, the center
moved north to point 20 miles east of Column
bus, Ind.
During the decade from 1890 to 1900 it moved
west to a point six miles southeast of Colum-
bus, Ind, the great increase in the population
of Indian Territory, Oklahoma, and Texas being
largely Offset by an increase in the population
of the North Atlantic states.
In 1910 it was at the point where the parallel
of latitude Of SO degrees 10 minutes u seconds
n. intersects the meridian of longitude Sc de-
grees 80 minutes 20 seconds W., and for the first
time in its history was located in a city
Bloomington, Ind. From 1900 to 1910 it moved
Z of mile north and $50 miles west the west
ward movement being nearly three times as
great as from 1890 TO 1900, but less than the
westward movement for all previous decades,
except between 1900 and 1910.
In the decade 1910 to 1920 it moved only 90
miles-the smallest movement il has ever shown
being only about one-fourth of the movement
from 1900 TO 1910. The center has been in
Indiana for 40 years now and it is probable that
it will still be in the possession of the Hoosiers
in 1870 for the historic banks of the Wabash
the eastern boundary of Indiana, are still %
miles away and the center is not likely to go
more than % miles westward in the next 10
years.
But If Indiana has a hold on one center
which it eventually will have to relinquish. there
is one state which has another center that it
will never lose. That state is Kansas and it has
permanent possession of the geographical center
Of continental United States" For the United
States Coast and Geodetic survey has deter
mined that this center is located at Ogden on
the Fort Riley reservation in Smith county, Kan.
1t is at point which is 100 feet above sea level
and is located in latitude 80 degrees 80 minutes:
longitude 90 degrees. 50 minutes and a monu-
ment has been erected there to mark the spot
How this geographical center was determined
Is described by officials of the survey as follows:
"For a land area bounded by a true circle the
center of the circle is the geographic center
also; for area bounded by a square a
rectangle the intersection of the diagonals is the
true center; but for an irregular area the cen
ter is not easily found. One method of find
ing it, method sufficiently exact for all prac-
teal purposes. is to mount a map on the area on
piece of stiff paper cardboard and then cut
this paper cardboard to the exact outline.
The point at which this figure will exactly bal
ance on pencil or pin point. if left free TO
move indicates the location of the geographic
center" 1t was by this method that the survey
not only found the geographical center of the
United States as whole but also that of each
state.
Kansas also has permanent possession Of an
other center which is of even more importance
than its geographic center for 1t has aptly
been called the hub of the United States" Out
in a pasture on the Meade ranch in Osborne
county, Kansas, Is three-foot cube of concrete
in which is set a metal plate on which point
is engraved And this is the dominant point
the primary station" the ''geodetic capital of
America" the king PIN of all United States
map-making and surveying and from it is cal
culated the latitude and longitude of sixth of
the worlds land surface. since both Canada and
Mexico have adopted this point and its sup
porting system as the north American DATUM
1t was established by the United States Coast
and Geodetic survey in 1901 as the initial sta
ton for the vast network of surveys that was to
be spread not only over the United States but
over the entire continent. 1t was designated as
the primary station" after the coast and
geodetic survey had employed intricate mathe-
NAUTICAL calculations in extending its "triangula-
ton network" across the country and had shifted
the rigid network of its measurements about
very slight distances until the errors in Iongi-
tude and latitude of all the various stations
were brought to the least possible quantity When
the network was "pegged down." the mother
station" was established on the Meade ranch
In north central Kansas
1T would seem from historic and scien-
tifc standpoint" says R. s. Patton, acting d.
rector of the coast and geodetic survey @that the
Meade ranch triangulation station Is worthy Of
monument at least conspicuous and artistic
as the zero milestone In Washington which
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