Dead Centre

A bare, lifeless clay knoll surrounded by abandoned coal diggings on the farm of Charles Elkins near Linton, Ind. last week attained national distinction. In Washington the Census Bureau designated it as the dead centre of U. S. population as revealed by the 1930 enumeration. So proud and happy were the 5,077 citizens of Linton to know that an equal number of U. S. people lived in every direction from them that their Rotary Club planned to march the 2 9/10 mi. northeast to the Elkins farm and erect a marker. The knoll's location was given technically as 39DEG 3' 45" North, 87DEG 8' 6" West.

Since 1920 U. S. population's centre moved 22.3 mi. west and 7.6 mi. south. In 1790 this theoretical spot was 23 mi. east of Baltimore, has advanced 589 mi. westward along the 39th parallel in 140 years. Biggest advance--80.6 mi.--occurred in the seventh decade (1850-60).

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