Naples c1859 - Powered by Grimes Creek

Naples c1859 - Powered by Grimes Creek. . , Harnessing the Power , Water gushing out of Grimes Glen was dammed at the mouth of the glen and directed into a wooden raceway that carried it to mills throughout the village. , The raceway fed Naples Mill, along the route that is now named Race Street. The raceway is long gone but the Naples Mill building is still standing. , Production of Flour from Grain , Section Through Millstones , To grind grain, massive millstones were turned against each other using water power. Grain was fed through the center of the top stone to a space between the stones, which could be adjusted to determine the coarseness of the end product. Grooves in the stones channeled the grindings to the outside edge where they were collected. The grain was then sorted, packaged, and shipped. , Grimes Glen , A depression in the ground near the parking area is where a mill pond was located. The pond and raceway created the water height (head) required to flow over the top of the waterwheels that powered the mills. , This map pf Naples in 1859 shows the raceway winding from the glen through the community, seving several mills. The water in the raceway was also used by the community for fire protection and everyday needs for more than 125 years. It was a sad day for the residents of Naples when the raceway was abandoned in 1921. , Naples Mill was built here in 1850 on the site of an earlier mill. The power source was upgraded through the years; the waterwheel was replaced by a turbine, then a steam engine, and then, in 1909, by electric power.