An exhibit with newspaper articles and memorabilia from the 1970 Center of the Population celebrations can be found on the second floor of the Mascoutah Heritage Museum at 306 West Main Street. HERALD
By Julie Laakko
[email protected]
MASCOUTAH – The center of population, as used by the U.S. Census Bureau, is that of a balance point of the entire population of the United States. If one were to imagine that the 50 states is a weightless, rigid, flat surface, and every person in the United States is one unit of weight, the center of the population falls where the surface has an equal “weight” on both sides.
In 1970, that balance point landed just five miles Southeast of Mascoutah, on a farming field owned by Lawrence and Betty Friederich. Mascoutah, with its population of 5,045 that year, became the center of the United States for the next ten years.
According to the Belleville-News Democrat published April, 26 1971, Friederich told reporters, “I don’t get too excited.” when asked about the significance of his property. But the article claims that his tone soon changed as the family began to receive requests for interviews from press wire services, national magazines, and television and radio networks.
Even Time Magazine wrote an article on Mascoutah’s momentous occasion, although Mascoutah Herald publisher at the time, Arthur Jenkins, seemed displeased with the report in his editorial comments.
Jenkins did express some optimism in the nationwide coverage, saying, “One thing this publicity on the radio, TV and the magazines will do is teach the effete easterner that Mascoutah is not ‘near Chicago’.”
While the census was collected in 1970, it took some time to tally all of the data. A News-Democrat article published December 31, 1969 showed that Hecker, Illinois, believed themselves to be the next center of the population based on the predictions of statisticians. The village was so convinced, in fact, that they installed new street lights to improve their image. The mayor even had plans to purchase street signs to boast their new designation. However, on Saturday, April 24th 1971, the Census Bureau announced the location just outside of Mascoutah.
Apparently the news was meant to be released to news outlets on April 26th for publication on May 2nd. However, a “leak” resulted in an early announcement.
Jenkins wrote in the Mascoutah Herald on Wednesday, April 28 1971, “Although we were pledged to secrecy by the U.S. Department of Commerce, concerning Mascoutah being the ‘center of population’ since the Belleville radio last Friday blabbed it, we might as well tell you it is so.”
So the news was out, and everyone was excited. People were trimming their lawns, the marching bands were practicing, and local businesses were putting out special ads for the occasion.
“Everyone in town was talking about it.” Marilyn Welch wrote in her book, Remembering Mascoutah: Reflecting On What’s Been Going On In Our Hometown, “It was the top subject of conversation at the soda fountain at Chase Drug Store and with the guys hanging out at Knoth Shell Service. And when they weren’t talking about it, everyone in town was reading about it.”
Along with the coverage in Time and Newsweek, almost every local paper had a headline about Mascoutah’s moment in the spotlight. A headline in the St Louis Post Dispatch called Mascoutah, the “Focus of the Nation”. The Herald from April 28 1971 had a blurb about a TV Special to appear on KMOX Channel 4 at 5:30 pm on Saturday, May 1st.
An official celebration of the occasion was held on Sunday, May 16, 1971. There was a brunch, a parade, and a program at Scheve Park as well as a ceremony in front of City Hall. During the ceremony, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Maurice H. Stans dedicated the marker in front of City Hall that marked Mascoutah as the center of the population. Another, less fancy marker was placed on the official location in Friederich’s field, and politicians rode a helicopter from Scheve Park to visit the location.
In the days following the celebration, most local newspapers covered their front pages in photographs and stories about Mascoutah’s ceremony. The May 17th St Louis Globe-Democrat described the parade as, “a composite of the best of small-town Fourth of July celebrations in Middle America”. Pictures of the Mascoutah Marching Band, the Scott AFB Band, visiting politicians, hometown queens, and crowds of onlookers covered the papers.
“We thought we were, well, we were! The center of attention!” Marilyn Welch recalled.
The center of the population has been moving steadily west since 1790, with Mascoutah as the last center of the population this side of the Mississippi River. While this area will likely never be the center of the nation again, the census is still very important to the community.
Originally the U.S. Census Bureau had extended the 2020 Census deadline to October 31st, but they have since moved the deadline back by a month. The 2020 Census will now come to a close on September 30. This is just a little over a month away.
According to 2020census.gov, 73.2% of households in Mascoutah have responded to the Census. While that is more than the St. Clair County average of 65.6% and the national average of 63.8%, it is less than the 80.0% of Mascoutah households that responded during 2010’s. With the economic hit Covid-19 has caused to communities across the country, it is more important than ever to respond to the census.
The census decides what portion of federal funding a state receives not only for relief assistance, but for other important services like schools, hospitals, roads, and public works. Businesses also use the census to determine where to build factories, offices, and stores – which, in turn, boosts economy creates jobs in the community. Additionally, the census is how the federal government determines apportionment of the House of Representatives. If members of the community do not respond to the census, they will not be counted in the population. Under-represented communities lose the federal support they need.
Therefore, it is imperative to reply to the 2020 Census, either by phone, mail, or online. To reply by phone, please call 844-330-2020. To reply online, go to My2020Census.gov, click on “Start Questionnaire”, and then select the link that says, “If you do not have a Census ID, click here”.
Beginning last week, the U.S. Census Bureau also began to send census takers to addresses that have not responded yet. These census takers are trained to follow public health guidelines concerning Covid-19 and can be identified by their government-issued ID badge.
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