Bloomington (Monroe County, Indiana) Progress, January 24, 1872, p. 2. THE CENTRE OF GRAVITY OF THE UNITED STATES.-Prof. Hilgard of the coast survey, has made some interesting calculations from the last and previous censuses, which show the steady westward movement of the population of the United States. Prof. Hilgard uses the phrase "center of gravity of the population," which, imagining the country to be a plane loaded with inhabitants, distributed over it in the manner shown by the census, would be the point on which the plane would balance. In 1840 this point was near the foot of the Cumberland mountains, in Virginia, upon the 30th parallel of latitude. In 1850 the census showed that the point had moved 57 miles, to a point south of Parkersburg, Va. In 1860, it was 82 miles further west at a place south of Chillicothe, Ohio, not far from the line between Virginia and Kentucky. In 1870 the point was found to have moved 45 miles further west, and it is now at Wilmington, Clinton county, Ohio. He estimates that in the year 1900 the centre will be found to be near Bloomington, Ind. Now who wouldn't live in Bloomington after this explanation. Constance T. Shotts, Ed.D., CG(SM) CG and Certified Genealogist are Service Marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board certificants after periodic evaluations by the Board and the board name is a trademark registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office.