city, seat (1872) of Smith county, northern Kansas, U.S. Smith Center is located about 85 miles (135 km) northwest of Salina. It was founded in 1871 by L.T. Reese with the aim of making it the county seat (the county had been named after Major J. Nelson Smith). The economy of Smith Center is based on grain and livestock. The homestead cabin of Brewster Higley, where he wrote (1873) the lyrics of the well-known song and Kansas state anthem "Home on the Range," is northwest; the home of Daniel Kelley, who composed the music to that song, has also been preserved in nearby Harlan. The traditional geographic centre of the contiguous United States (39°50′ N, 98°35′ W), marked by a stone pylon, is 11 miles (18 km) east-northeast of Smith Center. Inc. 1886. Pop. (2000) 1,931; (2007 est.) 1,663.