The cover of John Apperson’s Lake George by Ellen Apperson Brown.
A new book is coming in May 2017 from Arcadia Publishing entitled; John Apperson’s Lake George by Ellen Apperson Brown ( ISBN: 9781467124768 $21.99 | 128pp. | paperback ). The book focuses on the efforts of noted Lake George preservationist and conservationist, John S. Apperson Jr. (1878 – 1963).
In 1900, Apperson, a young man from Virginia, began working for General Electric in Schenectady. He discovered Lake George one summer while attending a boat race, and thus began his lifelong love affair with the magnificent scenery. He and his friends discovered the joys of island camping – of cooking over an open fire, trying out unfamiliar winter sports (skate sailing and skiing), and paddling a canoe in gale force winds.
Apperson devoted his energy and resources to saving the land from various threats. Apperson launched a two-pronged strategy, promoting Lake George for its recreational potential while recruiting people to help repair the shores of islands. Among other things, he started a campaign to start hauling rocks and building walls around the islands to protect them from erosion (a technique called riprapping).
He would earn the respect of leading politicians, philanthropists, and journalists, including George Foster Peabody, New York governor Al Smith, and Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. His actions brought him into open conflict with powerful adversaries, too.
John Apperson hauling rocks to riprap around the islands of Lake George. (Circa 1920)
For those who are familiar with the mid-section of Lake George, the story also touches on the efforts of a few determined people along with Apperson, who worked to add Tongue Mountain, Paradise Bay, Black Mountain Point, and the islands in the Narrows to the holdings of New York state, and which are now protected by New York’s constitution.
The author, Ellen Apperson Brown, grew up hearing colorful stories about “Appy,” her father’s favorite uncle. After many years of scholarly research, she has become a leading authority on his life and accomplishments. Most of the images are from her personal collection or from the Kelly Adirondack Research Center, Union College.
The book’s publication date is – May 15, 2017.