Scale is the ratio between distance on the map and how it relates to distance on the ground.
An example of a scale that you will commonly see referenced on maps in the collection is a "representative fraction", for example in Meacham's Atlas you often see a scale of chains to inches.
In the above example, 1 inch on the map represents 50 chains on the ground.
During the time when much of the Island was surveyed, the chain was a common unit of measure. A chain is 66 feet long or 100 links and an acre has an area of 10 square chains.
On many other maps in the collection you'll see a Graphic Bar (or bar scale). Below is an example from an 1841 map.
by the surveyor C. Wright.
The graphic scale printed on a map allows a person to measure distances on the map in terms of ground distances.
Two other examples of scales based on the chain system include:
Scale also utilized other measurements to convey distance including leagues:
