Documentary History of American Water-works

Naples

Naples, New York

Naples was settled around 1790 and incorporated as a village in 1894.

Henry P.M. Birkinbine sold one of his hydraulic rams to the town of Naples around 1850, which he reported distributed 20,000 gallons per day to the town. A correspondent writing to the Scientific American in 1852 questioned the accuracy of this claim, as the Town Clerk reported to him that it had "never distributed a single drop." Birkinbine continued to mention the Naples ram in his advertisements, but no other evidence has been found to confirm the installation or operation of this device.

The village of Naples built a water system in 1895.

Water is provided by the Village of Naples.

References
1850 "Report on H.P.M. Birkinbine's Hydraulic Ram," by William Hamilton, May 9, 1850, Journal of the Franklin Institute 50(5):353-356 (November, 1850)
Page 355: Mr. Birkinbine has stated to the committee, that he has up to this time constructed and put in use about 1000 of these rams, and that they have very generally been found to give entire satisfaction to their owners.
The largest of these are worked by driving pipes of 6 inches diameter. Such is the ram constructed for the town of Naples, in New York, intended to supply the town with water. The fall is 6 feet, and the water is lifted 60 feet high. It is calculated to raise, when in full action, 20,000 galls. per day.

1852 "Hydraulic Ram Advertisement," Pennsylvania Farm Journal 1(11):352 (February, 1852)
The town of Naples in the State of New York is supplied with water by one of these Rams, throwing 20,000 gallons a day.

1852 "Hydraulic Rams," Scientific American 8(2):13 (September 25, 1852)
It is stated in said Report, that Mr. Birkinbine has constructed and put into use no less than one thousand of these machines, and one has been put up in the town of Naples, New York, intended for the supply of that place with water. The fall is six feet; it forces the water sixty feet high, and discharges 20,000 gallons per day; the driving pipes are six inches in diameter.

1852 "Hydraulic Rams," Scientific American 8(7):53 (October 30, 1852) Communication from J.D. Rice questioning accuracy of September 25th article.
The communication states that the ram said to have been put up in the town of Naples, N.Y., (as mentioned on page 13, this vol., Scientific American) to supply it with water, has never distributed a single drop.- The Town Clerk of that village furnishes this information.

1897 "Naples," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.