Abstract
The John S. Apperson Jr. Papers consist of ca. 44 cu ft of correspondence, maps, litigation manuscripts and exhibits, legislative documents, pamphlets, circulars, published materials, photographic material, and audio recordings. The collection is in very good condition, with some photographs in need of conservation. The dates of the collection range from 1756 to 2004, however the bulk of the collection covers 1900-1963. This collection documents Apperson’s lengthy career as an environmental grass roots organizer and General Electric engineer in the early to mid 20th century.
Information on Use
Access:
Open to research.
Preferred Citation:
John S. Apperson Papers, Adirondack Research Library of the Kelly Adirondack Center at Union College, Schenectady, NY.
Acquisition:
Long term loan from Protect the Adirondacks!, 2011.
Processing Information:
In 2014 under the aegis of the Grass Roots Activism and the American Wilderness: Pioneers in the Twentieth Century Adirondack Park Conservation Movement project, funded by a Hidden Collections Cataloging grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), the Apperson papers were arranged and described to archival standards. Selected items were digitized and uploaded to the New York Heritage digital catalog as well as the Digital Public Library of America. Abigail Simkovic succeeded Ann Mulfort in the role of Project Archivist and Project Manager during the course of this project. Abigail Simkovic, Kimberly Kunker, and Jennifer Moore served as Graduate Assistant Archives Processors. Emily Pastore and Arthur Schutzberg served as Undergraduate Archives Assistants.
Additional Information
Location:
Adirondack Research Library of the Kelly Adirondack Center at Union College, 897 St. David’s Lane, Niskayuna, NY.
Language:
English.
Digital Collection:
Selected items from this collection were digitized and may be found on the New York Heritage website.
Website:
Digital exhibits exploring this collection may be found at clir-adk.union.edu.
Sponsor:
Funded by the CLIR Hidden Collections Cataloging grant Grass Roots Activism and the American Wilderness: Pioneers in the Twentieth Century Adirondack Park Conservation Movement.
Contact Information
Library:
Adirondack Research Library
897 St. David's Lane Niskayuna, NY 12309
Phone Number:
(518) 280-5951
Email:
Website:
Biographical / Historical
John Samuel Apperson, Jr. (Apperson) (1878-1963), known to his friends as “Appy”, was born to Dr. John Samuel Apperson (1837-1908) and Ellen Victoria Hull Apperson (1840-1887) on April 6, 1878 in Chilhowie, Virginia. Both of his parents supported the Confederacy in various capacities during the Civil War. Dr. John Samuel Apperson served as a hospital steward in the Stonewall Brigade and bore witness to the amputation of Stonewall Jackson’s arm (Dr. Apperson’s Civil War diaries were published as Repairing the March of Mars: The Civil War Diaries of John Samuel Apperson, Hospital Steward in the Stonewall Brigade, 1861-1865 by Mercer University Press in 2001). Ellen Victoria Hull Apperson received an official letter of commendation in 1861 for saving a train car of Mississippi Confederate troops from crashing into a wrecked car around a blind-bend of track by ripping off and waving her red petticoat while blocking the moving train’s path on the tracks.
John S. Apperson, Jr.’s childhood in postbellum Virginia was reportedly pleasant. The sixth of seven children he shared a close relationship with his siblings and a deep love for his mother. In 1887 Apperson’s mother Ellen passed away. After his wife’s death, Dr. Apperson moved his family from their home in Chilhowie to Marion Virginia to pursue employment at the Southwest Virginia Lunatic Asylum for one year before leaving to be a founding physician at the Eastern Asylum of the Insane, also in Marion. In the two years after Ellen’s death Dr. Apperson employed a string of female housekeepers to help care for his seven children, however they did not last long. In 1889 Dr. Apperson married his mentor’s daughter Elizabeth Black, a marriage which produced four more children.
John S. Apperson found family life with his stepmother unbearable, particularly after his only brother Alfred Hull Apperson left home to attend Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) to become an electrical engineer. John S. Apperson followed his brother’s footsteps and began studying electrical engineering at Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College in the late 1890s, although he did not finish his degree. During this time Apperson’s relationship with his father grew increasingly strained, particularly with regard to finances.
In 1900 Apperson left Virginia for Schenectady, New York, where he would live for the rest of his life. For his first four years in Schenectady Apperson worked as an electrician before being hired as an engineer by General Electric in 1904, despite his unfinished degree and lack of license. Apperson worked for General Electric until his retirement in 1947.
Apperson’s arrival in Upstate New York marked the beginning of his regular outdoor recreational activities, starting with canoe trips around the Schenectady area on the Mohawk River and the Erie Canal before graduating to regular visits to Lake George. It was not long after his introduction to the lake that he began visiting the area year-round and his life-long love affair with Lake George and its islands began. Apperson was known to say that he never married because “Lake George is my wife, and, her islands our children”. During this time Apperson was a leader and innovator of outdoor recreation sports in America introducing and updating many winter-sports such as skate-sailing, skate-skiing, cross-country skiing, and downhill skiing. Apperson is considered by many to be the father of skiing in America. Apperson designed and created much of his own and his friends’ equipment and purchased outdoor recreation clothing from as far away as Germany.
Apperson’s activities as an avid sportsman and fiery conservationist gathered together a large group of likeminded and influential men and women. His sphere included engineers, scientists, artists, authors, politicians, professors, lawyers, and many others. Apperson’s associates and close friends included Nobel Prize winner Irving Langmuir, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Eleanor Roosevelt.
It was Apperson’s outdoor recreation that led to his fervent conservation activism. As early as 1907 Apperson fought to protect Lake George. First he personally evicted “island squatters” in a relentless battle to enforce the 1885 law limiting or abolishing the use of state land by squatters. These “island squatters” crossed all echelons of society from the poor mountain men in shacks to General Electric executives in stately homes. In 1909 Apperson began his fight to protect the fragile shorelines of Lake George’s islands by rip-rapping (placing rock barriers against) the shorelines. Apperson’s fight to protect the shorelines led to his popular and successful 1915 pamphlet which garnered state-funded aid in 1917 to continue the struggle to preserve the disappearing islands. Over the next 40 years Apperson continued to support rip-rapping on Lake George by gathering volunteers to carry boulders and topsoil across the lake year-round.
Over the next 50 years Apperson battled lumber and logging companies, paper mills, campers, New York State, and many others in the fight to protect Lake George and the Adirondacks from being exploited for commercial gain. His legacy contains a long list of achievements and victories, which include the fathering of multiple successful grass roots activism organizations; the inclusion of Lake George in the Adirondack State Park in 1931; multiple conservation pamphlets of national impact; a Supreme Court victory over International Paper Company removing control over the water levels in Lake George from the hands of industry; and the protection of Dome Island as “forever wild”.
In addition to his political activities Apperson also held multiple annual retreats in the Adirondacks in order to educate others on the importance of wilderness conservation. From his retreats Apperson’s love and commitment to the wilderness created a true legacy of conservation activism, lighting a spark in the generation of activists that followed, including Paul Schaefer and Howard Zahniser.
Provenance and Arrangement Note
Provenance:
Upon John S. Apperson, Jr.’s passing in 1963 his papers were given to the Friends of the Forest Preserve where they were stored in a home garage. The papers sat unprocessed, but not untouched, for the next five years. From 1968 to 1998 members of the Friends of the Forest Preserve (primarily Bill White, Phil Ham, and Arthur Newkirk) reorganized Apperson’s papers. During this time the collection was culled extensively. Large portions of the photographs, negatives, films, pamphlets, circulars, publications, and artifacts were donated elsewhere (mainly to the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake and the Adirondack Mountain Club). In the 1970s a portion of the Apperson papers was lent to the Adirondack Museum. In 1979 segments of the Apperson papers were brought to the Adirondack Research Center, now Adirondack Research Library (ARL), when it was founded at Union College. The movement, processing, and weeding of the collection between 1963 and 1982 is well documented in a notebook kept by Arthur Newkirk, which is retained in the collection. From 1979 until 1998 Bill White continued to bring newly processed segments of the Apperson papers to the ARL. The photographic portion of the papers was sizably expanded in 2008 when additional materials were donated to the ARL by Ellen Apperson Brown. In the time between at least 1998 and the beginning of the 2013 Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Collections grant, which funded the 2014 processing of the Apperson collection, multiple hands passed through his papers, at times reorganizing and adding layers of occasionally conflicting annotations to the photographic materials. In 2011 Union College assumed responsibility for the collections of the ARL on the basis of a long-term loan.
Arrangement:
In order to preserve extant information in the collection, the arrangement of the previous processors has been maintained nearly in its entirety as it came to the processing staff in 2014. Certain deviations needed to be made, as some segments of the papers (such as the maps) had been disarticulated from the collection over time. The arrangement schema has two sub-fonds: Manuscripts and Miscellaneous Materials and Photographic and Audio Materials.
Manuscripts and Miscellaneous Materials has five series: Correspondence, Litigation and Legislation, Organization Records and Publications, Maps, and Sundry. Correspondence contains three sub-series created by the previous arrangers: Chronological Correspondence, Dome Island Correspondence, and General Electric Professional Correspondence. Litigation and Legislation contains Apperson’s records from various environmental legislative battles and the litigation records of the “Lake George Trespass” lawsuit. Organization Records and Publications contains the organizational records of select nongovernmental environmental organizations with which Apperson was involved as well as the pamphlets, circulars, and articles that the earlier processors retained. The Maps series contains a large collection of historical maps of wilderness lands in New York. Photographic and Audio Materials contains six series determined by media: Photographic Prints, Photographic Negatives, Ambrotypes, Lantern Slides, 35mm Slides, and Audio Recordings.
Manuscripts & Miscellaneous Materials
Correspondence
- 12 Cubic Feet
The Correspondence and Manuscripts series contains documents written over the course of John S. Apperson, Jr.’s lifetime, 1878-1963. These documents include correspondence, litigation, maps, drawings, charts, published materials, as well as other sundry documents. At the end of the Correspondence Series are two sub-series, one containing the majority of correspondence relating to Dome Island (some of which post-dates Apperson) and the second containing Apperson’s professional correspondence involving General Electric, 1901-1947.
Chronological Correspondence
- 55 Files
1899-1909
- 1 Folder
- 1899-1909
The first mentions of skate sailing as well as Apperson’s concerns for the islands in Lake George are found in this earliest correspondence. In 1906 Apperson was modifying skate blades and purchasing spars to make his own sails. In 1909 he purchased his first camera.
1910
- 1 Folder
- 1910
Apperson’s 1910 correspondence greatly concerns fire stations in the Adirondack Forest Preserve. In this year he also received correspondence from a General Electric colleague in Japan.
1911
- 1 Folder
- 1911
In this year Apperson’s correspondence concerns the construction of many sets of skate sails and skate spars for his friends and associates. Apperson orders a sewing machine for the sails and charges it to his General Electric account. Apperson’s Japanese correspondence continues. A July 15th letter recounts the damage incurred to Apperson’s canoe by the rail road company as it was shipped to him. On December 18th Apperson receives a letter from Irving Langmuir.
1912
- 1 Folder
- 1912
1912 concerns mostly outdoor recreation topics, such as skate sailing and sleeping bags. Apperson had problems with his new boat motor and also had to repair his canoe. This folder contains water crest measurements at the Lake George Dam.
1913
- 1 Folder
- 1913
On June 7th Apperson was invited to join the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks. Apperson continued to experience boat motor issues for many years. On August 28th Apperson received a letter from Irving Langmuir.
1914
- 1 Folder
- 1914
In March of 1914 Apperson worked with William College students to connect them to the great outdoors. Beginning in December of this year Apperson corresponded with William Hornaday, and others, regarding the leasing of state-owned lands.
1915
- 2 Folders
- 1915
1915 marks Apperson’s first major involvement in the political sphere. A state-wide Constitutional Convention was held which proposed altering Article 7- Section 7, which concerns the protection of New York State lands. During this year Apperson produced his first major pamphlet, which he used to inform the public of the dangers of altering Article 7- Section 7 posed.
1916
- 2 Folders
- 1916
In this year Apperson registered a barge for riprap work on Lake George which he christened “Art 7- Sec 7”. In June and July of this year he corresponded with the Glens Falls photographer Seneca Ray Stoddard. In October Apperson's correspondence concerned Dome Island. There are many references throughout this year to the photographic documentation of both the damage done to the islands and shorelines of Lake George as well as the riprap work done to repair the shorelines.
1917
- 2 Folders
- 1917
1917 marked the beginning of state conservation of the Lake George islands. On May 24th Governor Charles Whitman signed a bill to appropriate $10,000 specifically for work on Lake George. Even though he had no official role on the project, Apperson was in constant contact with the teams as they went about their work. He loaned his barge and convinced D. A. Loomis of the Lake George Steamboat company to loan a barge as well.
1918
- 2 Folders
- 1918
1918 marks the year that the impact of WWI was felt by Apperson. A great deal of this year’s correspondence relates to the war effort, including the notification of many General Electric employees of their deferred conscription status. During this time as well Jay Taylor riprapped over 30 islands on Lake George and Apperson attempted to make weekly visits to examine the work. Apperson corresponded with General Electric employees in both Cuba and Japan in this year.
1919
- 3 Folders
- 1919
1919 marks the beginning of the decades long struggle with the International Paper Company in Ticonderoga, NY. International Paper’s high dam and added splash boards held water back from its natural outlets on the northern end of Lake George. Lake George residents and recreationists complained of being flooded out of the area. The Conservation Commission was unable to reach a settlement with International Paper this year.
1920
- 2 Folders
- 1920
In 1920 Apperson purchased a small property on Tongue Mountain from Thomas Coolidge and made several renovations and repairs over the course of the year. In April Apperson, G. Hall Roosevelt, and William Dalton purchased the Lakeview Hotel Property in Bolton, NY. Apperson converted the ice house on the property into a cabin for his personal use.
1921
- 2 Folders
- 1921
In this year Apperson and Jim Crawley spent a great deal of time arranging the dedication ceremony for the American Canoe Association on Lake George. Over 100 people attended the event and Apperson struggled to arrange housing.
1922
- 3 Folders
- 1922
During this year Apperson, Langmuir, and three others embarked on an extensive skiing trip to Haystack Mountain in the Adirondacks through the Upper Ausable Valley. Apperson moved to a new department in General Electric.
1923
- 4 Folders
- 1923
In 1923 Apperson began petitioning New York State to pass an appropriations bill in order to purchase land on the Lake George shoreline and protect the lake’s remaining undeveloped areas. On May 10th the bill was passed granting $75,000 for the state to purchase Tongue Mountain. Apperson helped facilitate the purchase of many properties for the state. Correspondence with the Loines family is prominent from this point forward.
1924
- 4 Folders
- 1924
In October of this year Apperson purchased another tract of land on Tongue Mountain. The state conducted a land survey to construct a road from Bolton, NY, through Tongue Mountain. The Loines family were very concerned that the road would cut across their land.
1925
- 2 Folders
- 1925
In this year Apperson served on many state committees concerning the wilderness. He fought and chronicled a white pine blister outbreak on many trees in his Lake George property. The American Canoe Association used Apperson’s Lake George property as their base of operations for their executive committee.
1926
- 2 Folders
- 1926
In 1926 Apperson unsuccessfully petitioned the state to purchase and protect Dome Island on Lake George. In June Apperson began construction on a dock for his Lake George property. In this year Apperson helped construct a covenant for the landowners of Tongue Mountain in which they promise to keep their lands undeveloped in order to preserve the natural beauty of the Narrows of Lake George.
1927
- 2 Folders
- 1927
In this year Apperson purchased a Chris-Craft motorboat which he christened “Article 7- Section 7”. Unfortunately, the boat immediately started giving him problems. Apperson’s relationship with the Loines family continued. His assistance to the family regarding the proposed state highway led the Loines family to sell tracts of land to New York State.
1928
- 2 Folders
- 1928
Early in this year Apperson expanded his Lake George property by first purchasing a portion of Dalton’s shares and then a portion of Langmuir’s shares of the original Lakeview Hotel property. This year contains multiple letters from Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.
1929
- 2 Folders
- 1929
In January Apperson sold a portion of the Lakeview Hotel Property to A. Kilgour Christie which included a large house and 500 feet of shoreline. Apperson and Alexander MacDonald, the New York State Conservation Commissioner, came to a gentleman’s agreement in which MacDonald promised the state would purchase several tracts of land that Apperson had previously purchased to protect from development. MacDonald went back on his word, infuriating Apperson. This year also contains a great deal of correspondence with the Roosevelts.
1930
- 5 Folders
- 1930
In 1930 Apperson was contacted for the first time by Raymond Torrey of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks. This folder contains a January 6th certificate appointing Apperson as treasurer for the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks. In this year’s correspondence Apperson rails against this year’s legislative bills, stating that concerning lumbering and building structures 1930 was the worst year for conservation since 1915.
1931
- 6 Folders
- 1931
1931 greatly concerns proposed legislation. A large amount of correspondence concerns Apperson, the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks, and the Adirondack Mountain Club’s strong opposition to the proposed Hewitt Amendment and their support of the proposed Baxter Amendment. Apperson and these organizations campaigned heartily. Henry Morgenthau was appointed as Conservation Commissioner in March. In mid-March Governor Roosevelt extended the size of the Adirondack State Park. Apperson and Paul Schaefer met for the first time in June.
1932
- 5 Folders
- 1932
High water on Lake George created by the International Paper Company’s dam in Ticonderoga, NY, continued to be a major problem and continued to be for the next 30 years. Apperson organized speeches and political meetings concerning new environmental legislation and distributed thousands of pamphlets. In this year he purchased a new camera and corresponded with both Paul Schaefer and Vincent Schaefer.
1933
- 6 Folders
- 1933
In January the New York State Conservation League was formed. This group of Apperson and his associates began focusing on the issues of a proposed state road along Long Lake, the protection of Prisoner Island, and a proposed amendment to Article 7- Section 7. In May Vincent Schaefer performed riprapping on Ship Island in consultation with Ranger Taylor. In order to facilitate the fight towards removing the artificial dam at Ticonderoga Apperson commissioned W. G. Watts to perform research on the original stone barrier at the north end of Lake George.
1934
- 5 Folders
- 1934
Apperson’s major conservation fight in 1934 was the proposed road and monument on Whiteface Mountain. In February of this year Apperson and his associates formed the New York State Forest Preserve Association. In May the NYFPA defeated the Whiteface Mountain bill; additionally Governor Lehman approved an appropriations bill to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Adirondack Forest Preserve. In July the New York Forest Preserve Association met for their first annual meeting at Apperson’s Lake George property Camp Chilhowie. The Association produced "The Tragic Truth about Erosion" pamphlet in August. It was a huge hit and was distributed nationwide, due largely to the support of H. H. Bennett of the US Department of the Interior. He became a friend of Apperson's and stayed involved in New York conservation for several decades.
1935
- 7 Folders
- 1935
In February of 1935 H. H. Bennett, of the U.S. Department of the Interior, traveled to Schenectady in order to meet with Apperson. Dome Island was once more for sale and Apperson organized to purchase and protect the island. In August Apperson hosted a small group of environmentalists in order to plan their next moves.
1936
- 8 Folders
- 1936
In March of this year Apperson incorporated the New York Trails Conference. Apperson, Vincent Schaefer, Langmuir, and Torrey were among its first directors. In this year the Forest Preserve Association continued to receive requests for “The Tragic Truth About Erosion”. In the aim of forest fire prevention, Apperson and his associates supported a slash removal bill despite the Conservation Commissioner’s opposition. In the summer Apperson continued to take documentary photographs of the degradation of the Lake George islands. The Forest Preserve Association again held their annual meeting on Apperson’s Lake George property.
1937
- 6 Folders
- 1937
The core of the 1937 correspondence concerns preparations for the upcoming constitutional convention. Attached to a letter in this year is a collection of Apperson’s correspondence from 1919-1937 concerning Lake George water levels. The Forest Preserve Association once more held their annual meeting on Apperson’s Lake George property.
1938
- 7 Folders
- 1938
For the 1938 New York Constitutional Convention Apperson gathered support for Article 7- Section 7 from over 40 organizations and 500 affiliated groups. A bill was defeated that would have allowed the state to charge for the use of their campsites. After George Foster Peabody passed away in May Apperson established a memorial fund for the purpose of purchasing land on Lake George in his honor.
1939
- 4 Folders
- 1939
The majority of 1939’s correspondence concerns either the George Foster Peabody Memorial Fund or “The Tragic Truth About Erosion” pamphlet. A great deal was accomplished concerning the Peabody fund: a plaque was designed and purchased for a French Point memorial and 42 acres were purchased and transferred to state ownership. Raymond Torrey and Robert Marshall passed away.
1940
- 4 Folders
- 1940
As war tensions mounted Apperson shifted his focus to national defense preparedness. Apperson received 75 chestnut saplings for Dome Island from Alvin Whitney at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.
1941
- 4 Folders
- 1941
In 1940 Apperson facilitated the sale of the Knapp estate in the Lake George area, more than 7,500 acres, to New York State to be conserved as wildlands. Governor Lehman signed the appropriations bill for this sale in April. Apperson’s commitment to regulating the water levels redoubled when the lake experienced the lowest water levels since 1920. Apperson lobbied against a bill to build ski trails on Whiteface Mountain, which was defeated in the election.
1942
- 4 Folders
- 1942
In 1942 Apperson, along with New York State, filed a lawsuit against International Paper Company over their use of the dam in Ticonderoga, NY to control the water levels in Lake George. With gasoline rationing imposed during WWII Apperson requested additional gasoline for his constant trips to Lake George.
1943
- 7 Folders
- 1943
The “Lake George Trespass” lawsuit against International Paper Company continued. The Lake George Association supported the International Paper Company, much to Apperson’s chagrin. Apperson went on the offensive showing his slides and film to the attorney general to advocate for their cause. As the case suffered from many delays, Apperson and associates were forced to raise over $800 in order to pay their attorney, R. Moot, for his services.
1944
- 7 Folders
- 1944
Apperson gathered 145 signatures from Lake George shoreline owners on a petition urging Governor Dewey to hasten the litigation process in the suit against the International Paper Company. Over the summer Apperson and associates formed the Lake George Protective Association as they felt the Lake George Association was no longer representing the interests of the lake and its residents.
1945
- 5 Folders
- 1945
The “Lake George Trespass” suit against the International Paper Company continued. Apperson gave a presentation at the Albany Institute of History and Art to rally support for the cause. Apperson convinced Rockwell Kent to testify for the state.
1946
- 4 Folders
- 1946
In addition to the continuing legal battle with the International Paper Company over their use of the dam in Ticonderoga, NY, Apperson challenged the Black River Regulation Board and the Adirondack Moose Committee in this year.
1947
- 5 Folders
- 1947
In March of this year Apperson retired from General Electric. He continued the legal battle against the International Paper Company over water levels in Lake George. In September of this year the plaintiffs in the case, supported by the New York Attorney General, appealed Judge Ryan’s ruling. The conservation struggles over the proposed Black River and Moose River flooding continued as well.
1948
- 4 Folders
- 1948
1948 was consumed with the fight against the proposed Panther Mountain dam. A small appropriation was passed by New York State in September to fund the riprapping of selected islands in Lake George.
1949
- 4 Folders
- 1949
Apperson continued to fight the proposed Panther Mountain dam. In March he spoke to the Federated Garden Clubs of New York and was honored with a silver medal for his decades of conservation work.
1950
- 5 Folders
- 1950
In April Apperson received word that they had achieved victory against the proposed Panther Mountain dam. The lawsuit against the International Paper Company over water levels in Lake George continued to be delayed in court. In November Apperson’s Lake George property sustained severe damage due to the “Big Blowdown” storm.
1951
- 3 Folders
- 1951
In 1951 Apperson spent over $300 to repair the damage to his Lake George property from the severe November 1950 storm known as the “Big Blowdown”. In April he purchased a tract of land from Langmuir for $5,000. September brought long awaited movement in the lawsuit against International Paper Company over water levels in Lake George.
1952
- 4 Folders
- 1952
The Hammond-Ostrander bill was introduced which proposed shifting the power to flood land to the people. A second bill was proposed that would have granted the state the right to flood more than the previously stipulated 1% of the Adirondack Forest Preserve. In September Apperson, Atwater, and Newkirk withdrew from the Adirondack Moose River Committee.
1953
- 3 Folders
- 1953
The months of January and February were consumed by preparations for the appeal hearing in the lawsuit against International Paper Company. In March victory was attained when the court decided in favor of New York State. Apperson began his discussions with the Nature Conservancy over Dome Island in September.
1954
- 4 Folders
- 1954
In 1954 Apperson was very concerned with the proposed amendment for the Adirondack Northway. The New York chapter of the Nature Conservancy was very interested in purchasing and conserving Dome Island, however, the chapter was only one year old and did not have the funds. Langmuir was appointed chair of the Nature Conservancy’s Dome Island committee. Whitney arranged for several members to visit Apperson’s Lake George camp in order to view Dome Island in October.
1955
- 4 Folders
- 1955
Detached parcels of land in the Adirondack Forest Preserve were a major conservation issue in this year. A bill was introduced that would allow the state to sell these parcels. Joseph Illick wrote a report approving the bill. Apperson notes the February hearing on the issue had an excellent conservation turnout. March brought victory over the proposed Panther Mountain dam. In December the Nature Conservancy began the official process to acquire Dome Island.
1956
- 3 Folders
- 1956
Proposals continued to be made to sell over 400 parcels of detached lands in the Adirondack Forest Preserve. By March the Nature Conservancy had raised $6,700 for the purchase of Dome Island. By September $12,000 had been raised. In December Apperson transferred Dome Island to the Nature Conservancy’s care.
1957
- 3 Folders
- 1957
On January 7th the Federated Garden Club donated $1,000 towards the purchase of Dome Island. On January 27th the Nature Conservancy held an event to recognize Apperson and to officially transfer possession of Dome Island. In 1957 Apperson and associates revised their "Lake George: a Mill Pond" pamphlet. Langmuir passed away on August 13th, and Apperson was made president of the Lake George Protective Association.
1958
- 3 Folders
- 1958
The proposed Adirondack Northway was a great cause of debate. Apperson conducted inventories of his Lake George properties and his Schenectady home.
1959
- 3 Folders
- 1959
Apperson created the “Your Northway” pamphlet in order to educate the public on the proposed Adirondack Northway and to support the proposed Champlain Mountain route which would leave the Adirondack Forest Preserve intact. Unfortunately, they lost the vote on the Northway route. In August Apperson was made an honorary member of the Nature Conservancy.
1960
- 4 Folders
- 1960
In January Apperson’s associate Rienow was in an accident with a saw in which he severely damaged his left arm and hand. Whitney and Bennett passed away in the summer.
1961
- 2 Folders
- 1961
In this year Apperson was concerned with the proposed the Cooke-Sadler bill, which would have regulated the water levels of Lake George.
1962
- 2 Folders
- 1962
Apperson corresponded with the Nature Conservancy regarding the upkeep of Dome Island. They conducted a vegetation survey together. Apperson praises Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. Apperson was hospitalized in November due to an accident.
1963
- 1 Folder
- 1963
1963 contains documentation of many of donations to the John S. Apperson memorial fund.
Undated
- 3 Folders
These folders contain all of the undated letters in the collection.
Dome Island Correspondence
- 7 Files
1917-1950
- 1 Folder
- 1917-1950
1954
- 1 Folder
- 1954
1955
- 1 Folder
- 1955
1956
- 1 Folder
- 1956
1959-1980
- 1 Folder
- 1959-1980
1990s
- 1 Folder
- 1990s
Undated
- 1 Folder
General Electric Professional Correspondence
- 10 Files
This sub-series contains Apperson’s professional correspondence from his 47-year career at General Electric.
1901-1909
- 1 Folder
- 1901-1909
1910
- 1 Folder
- 1910
1911
- 1 Folder
- 1911
1912
- 1 Folder
- 1912
1913-1919
- 1 Folder
- 1913-1919
1920
- 1 Folder
- 1920
1921
- 2 Folders
- 1921
1922
- 1 Folder
- 1922
1923-1947
- 1 Folder
- 1923-1947
Litigation & Legislation
- 3.6 Cubic Feet
The majority of the litigation records concern the lawsuit known as the "Lake George Trespass" (State of New York et al v. System Properties et al) which was brought by the State of New York over the International Paper Company which owned and operated the dam at the northern outlet of Lake George in Ticonderoga. For years the shore owners had been forced to deal with both unnaturally high and low water levels based on the actions of the mill owners. Apperson, Langmuir and others supported the State's cause and were very involved in the case as the debate dragged out over decades. Spelling irregularities in the original files have been retained.
Fire Truck Trails
- 1 Folder
- 1935
Lake George Deeds
- 1 Folder
- 1923-1939
Lake George Gage Levels
- 1 Folder
- 1945-1947
Lake George Land Grants
- 1 Folder
- 1918-1922
Lake George Riprapping Appropriation, Work Logs
- 2 Folders
- 1917
Lake George State Park
- 1 Folder
- 1923
"Lake George Trespass," State of New York v. System Properties
- 22 Files
John S. Apperson Jr. was very concerned with the condition of the islands of Lake George. When New York State took System Properties to court over the issue of high water levels Apperson and several of his associates joined the State's side in the case. Apperson preserved many documents from the case which are grouped together under the heading "Lake George Trespass," State of New York et al v. System Properties et al.
Apperson Case Files
- 1 Folder
- 1946
Apperson Case Files
- 1 Folder
- 1953
Apperson Case Files
- 2 Folders
- 1956
Apperson Case Files, Undated
- 1 Folder
Articles and Clippings
- 1 Folder
Articles of Incorporation
- 1 Folder
- 1885-1944
Attorney Richard Moot Case Files
- 4 Folders
- 1942-1952
Bills & Resolutions
- 1 Folder
- 1931-1945
Committee Meetings
- 1 Folder
- 1923-1955
Correspondence and Legal Forms
- 2 Folders
- 1915-1948
Court Documents
- 2 Folders
- 1942-1952
Evidence
- 1 Folder
- 1835-1945
Exhibits
- 3 Folders
- 1794-1949
Exhibits, Photostats
- 9 Items
- 1947
Exhibits, Oversize
- 25 Items
Findings of Fact
- 1 Folder
Joint Legislative Committee
- 1 Folder
- 1943
Miscellaneous
- 1 Folder
- 1815-1944
Plaintiff's Exhibit Books
- 4 Items
Record on Appeal
- 4 Items
- 1945
Reports
- 1 Folder
- 1909-1944
Riprarian Rights of International Paper Company
- 2 Folders
- 1932
Lake Placid Covenant
- 1 Folder
- 1921
Tongue Mountain Tract, Owner's Resolution
- 1 Folder
- 1929
Sundry New York State Legislation
- 1 Folder
- 1915-1954
Organization Records & Publications
- 2.2 Cubic Feet
This series contains many items on a wide variety of conservation and outdoor recreation related topics of both local and national note. Most of the items were published by Apperson himself, however some of the items were published by the Forest Preserve Association.
21st Century Environmental Bond Act
- 1990
Adirondack Forest Preserve
- 1 Folder
- 1934-1951
Adirondack Forest Preserve, 50th Anniversary Correspondence
- 1 Folder
- 1928-1935
Adirondack Mountain Club
- 1 Folder
- 1939-1964
Adirondack Northway Clippings
- 1 Folder
- 1948-1958
American Chestnut on Dome Island Clippings
- 1 Folder
- 1995
American Forests
- 1 Folder
- 1934-1943
Appalachia
- 1 Folder
- 1939-1998
Appalachian Mountain Club
- 1 Folder
- 1989
Apperson Publications & Clippings
- 1 Folder
- 1936-1961
Boy Scout Merit Badge Booklets
- 1 Folder
- 1925
Buck Mountain Bugle
- 1 Folder
- 1995
Conservation Clippings
- 2 Folders
- 1915-1995
Conservation Committee Public Hearing
- 1 Folder
- 1938-06-23
Conservation Foundation
- 1 Folder
- 1952-1962
Ellen Apperson Brown Clippings
- 1 Folder
- 1995-2000
Environmental Science Clippings
- 1 Folder
- 1992-2004
The Facts about Panther Mountain Reservoir
- 1 Folder
- 1948-1953
Federated Garden Clubs of New York State
- 2 Folders
- 1949-1965
Forest Preserve Association
- 2 Folders
- 1930-1965
German Outfitting Catalogue
- 1 Folder
- 1911
Izaak Walton League
- 1 Folder
- 1922-1923
Lake George Association
- 1 Folder
- 1911-1945
Lake George Cruiser Colony
- 1 Folder
- 1961
Lake George Islands Pamphlet
- 1 Folder
- 1915
Lake George Islands Pamphlet, Mockup
- 1 Folder
- 1915
Lake George Mirror
- 1 Folder
- 1950-1959
Lake George Park Commission
- 1 Folder
- 1974
Lake George Protective Association
- 7 Files
Correspondence, 1940s
- 1 Folder
- 1940s
Bylaws, articles, and member correspondence.
Correspondence, 1950s
- 1 Folder
Association correspondence.
Correspondence, 1960s
- 1 Folder
- 1960s
Association correspondence
Dues, 1960-1967
- 1 Folder
- 1960-1967
A notebook containing the record of yearly dues.
Meeting Minutes, 1964-1966
- 1 Folder
- 1964-1966
Correspondence and meeting minutes.
Ballots, 1968
- 1 Folder
- 1968
Member submitted ballots.
Publications
- 2 Folders
Association publications.
Miscellaneous
- 1 Folder
- 1916-1962
Mount Marcy Clippings
- 2 Folders
- 1937-1966
Nature Conservancy Annual Reports
- 1 Folder
- 1994-1997
Newspaper Clippings, 1990s
- 3 Folders
- 1990
New York Fish, Game, and Forest League
- 1 Folder
- 1932-1933
New York State Conservation Commission
- 1 Folder
- 1910-1957
Richard Moot Clippings
- 1 Folder
Schenectady County Conservation Council Annual Reports
- 1 Folder
- 1936-1950
Ski Trail Maps
- 1 Folder
- 1931
Soil Conservation Service
- 1 Folder
- 1936-1947
Oversize
- 1 Folder
- 1929-1931
Maps
- 4.4 Cubic Feet
John S. Apperson’s maps range from historic to contemporary and generally cover the Lake George region. The collection contains maps of more detail, including individual maps of Lake George’s islands, the area of the Outlet Dam, and the property lines around Bolton, New York. There are photostats of mainly historic maps within these papers that were used as exhibits by Apperson in the Lake George Trespass trial. Apperson’s maps also include a map of the Catskills region of New York.
Hydrographic Survey of Lake George by S. R. Stoddard
- 5 Items
- 1906
Lake George and Lake George Islands
- 5 Items
- 1925-1960
Lake George Lots and Tracts
- 12 Items
- 1763-1942
Photostats
- 7 Items
- 1756-1951
Ticonderoga Dam Outlet
- 7 Items
- 1933
Sundry
- 65 Items
- 1897-1958
1916 Fire Protection Map of the Adirondack Park
- 4 Items
- 1916
1927 State Land Map
- 1 Item
- 1927
1927 Forest Preserve Association Presentation Map
- 4 Items
- 1927
1938 Forest Preserve Map
- 4 Items
- 1938
Mountain Maps, 1902-Undated
- 14 Items
"No. 1" State Land Maps
- 6 Items
"No. 2" State Land Maps
- 8 Items
"No. 3" State Land Maps
- 6 Items
"No. 4" State Land Maps
- 10 Items
- 1911-1953
Sundry
- 2 Cubic Feet
Apperson Biography, Forward Drafts
- 1 Folder
Apperson Biography, Chapter 1 Drafts
- 1 Folder
- 1994
Apperson Biography, Chapter 2 Drafts
- 1 Folder
- 1996
Apperson Biography, Chapter 3 Drafts
- 1 Folder
- 1995
Apperson Biography, Correspondence & Notes
- 2 Folders
- 1982-1994
Apperson Biography, Chet Simms Materials
- 1 Folder
- 1928-1999
Apperson Biography, Ellen Apperson Brown Materials
- 1 Folder
Apperson Biography, Family History
- 1 Folder
- 1999
Apperson Collection, Processing Correspondence
- 2 Folders
- 1963-2000
Apperson Collection, Arthur Newkirk Processing Notebook
- 1 Folder
- 1968-1983
Apperson Exhibit
- 1 Folder
- 1981
Artifacts
- 9 Items
Charts
- 7 Items
Donald Williams Presentations
- 1 Folder
Jeanie Newkirk Camp Fire Girl Essay
- 1 Folder
- 1957
Postcards
- 59 Items
Signs
- 11 Items
Stereoscopes
- 2 Items
Sundry
- 1 Folder
Photographic & Audio Materials
Photographic Prints
- 11 Boxes
The files from the previous processors have been maintained almost in their entirety. There are instances where these files deliver less than is desired, such as in Box 14, File 1 where three events had been combined indistinguishably into one file. However, in some sub-series the previous processors provided plethora of information, such as may be seen in the Dome Island prints sub-series and its 91 files. Each of the files within this series have an individual scope and content note. Apperson himself annotated the backside of the vast majority of his photographs which provide truly excellent documentary evidence to the history of the region and Apperson’s mind and personality. 4x6 and 5x7 prints are in boxes 14-17, 8x10 prints are in box 22, 11x14 prints are in boxes 23-24, oversize prints are in boxes 25-29, and tightly rolled prints in need of conservation are in box 31.
Apperson's Associates & Conservation Activities
- 9 Files
Camp Chilhowie, ACS Meeting, Apperson Cove
- 1 Folder
- 1921-1960
Chapel Pond Highway Construction
- 3 Folders
- 1932-1933
Civilian Conservation Corps Camps
- 1 Folder
- 1935-1936
Forest Preserve Association Tabling
- 1 Folder
- 1950-1960
Moose River Plains Trip
- 1 Folder
- 1946-01
Perkins Clearing
- 1 Folder
- 1900-1930
Rock Work on the Narrows with the Campfire Girls
- 1 Folder
- 1908-1919
Schenectady Erie Blvd. Pumping Station Public Works Administration Project
- 1 Folder
- 1936
Sundry
- 2 Folders
Dome Island
- 91 Files
The previous processors of these papers separated the Dome Island photographs into 90 envelopes, each bearing unique descriptive and identification data. In this arrangement the previous separation has been preserved in its entirety. The title of each file within the Dome Island sub-series is a transcription from the envelope of the previous processors. This information includes photograph attribution, dates, subjects, and location. As the paper’s previous processors provided this information, its veracity cannot be certified. However, each of the previous processors were familiar with Apperson, this collection, and the area of Dome Island. Many of these file headings use common vernacular, which was retained during the envelope transcription. The envelopes were transcribed by an undergraduate student assistant.
Dome Island
- 90 Files
- 1917-1963
Dome Island, Oversize
- 1 Folder
Lake George
- 7 Files
Aerial Views of Lake George
- 1 Folder
- 1940-1960
Blowdown on Lake George
- 1 Folder
- 1950
Island Squatters and Other Front Buildings
- 1 Folder
- 1908-1917
Scenic Views of Lake George
- 9 Folders
- 1890-1963
Winter Trips to Lake George
- 1 Folder
- 1910-1950
Sundry, Lake George
- 4 Folders
Sundry, Riprapping
- 3 Folders
Lake George Water Levels
- 6 Files
High Water Levels and Shoreline Damage
- 3 Folders
- 1910-1960
Outlet Dam and Natural Dam at Ticonderoga, NY
- 2 Folders
Personal Copies of High Water Photos
- 1 Folder
- 1910-1941
Water Levels Chronology
- 20 Files
- 1910-1941
Sundry Shorelines
- 4 Folders
Sundry Water Levels and Erosion
- 7 Folders
Lumbering and Logging
- 7 Files
Logging Operation on the Upper Hudson River
- 1 Folder
- 1930-1939
Lumbering and Hunting Camps
- 1 Folder
- 1907-1913
Lumbering on Lake George
- 1 Folder
- 1912-1913
Lumbering on Rocky Peak Ridge
- 1 Folder
- 1932-1935
Sundry Lumbering
- 3 Folders
- 1907-1939
Summer Excursions
- 4 Files
Canoeing on the Mohawk River
- 1 Folder
- 1906
Year-round Camping on Dollar Island
- 1 Folder
- 1907-1935
Sundry Summer Excursions
- 2 Folders
Winter Excursions
- 6 Files
Ausable Lake with AMC
- 1 Folder
- 1927
Night Hawk Lake, Quebec, CA
- 1 Folder
- 1910
Skatesailing
- 2 Folders
- 1908-1950
Ski Trip to Mt. Marcy with Dartmouth College
- 1 Folder
- 1914
Ski Trip to Mt. Marcy
- 1 Folder
- 1911
Sundry Winter Excursions
- 3 Folders
Sundry
- 1 Files
Sundry
- 2 Folders
Photographic Negatives
- 11 Boxes
Apperson organized most of his negatives into various envelopes with a description written on the outside. In order to preserve a sense of Apperson’s persona in the physical arrangement of the collection these envelopes have been scanned and printed on archival paper along with a transcription of Apperson’s annotations and placed within the binder boxes of the plastic negatives sub-series. All of the plastic negatives, regardless of size, are housed in binder boxes and have been organized by content. Within the miscellaneous items of the collection are kept a few of Apperson’s items relating to his housing and organization of his many plastic negatives. There are three sizes of glass plate negatives in these papers. For terms of simplicity these have been designated “small,” “medium,” and “large”. The bulk of the small negatives are 3.5”x5.5”, the bulk of the medium negatives are 4”x6”, and the bulk of the large negatives are 8”x10”.
Apperson's Associates
- 321 Items
- 1899-1963
Dome Island
- 172 Items
- 1899-1963
Lake George Shorelines and Riprapping
- 140 Items
- 1900-1950
Lake George
- 112 Items
- 1899-1963
Lumbering and Logging
- 21 Items
- 1912-1936
Public Works Administration and Boy Scouts
- 18 Items
- 1936
Summer Sports and Excursions
- 90 Items
- 1899-1963
Winter Sports and Excursions
- 555 Items
- 1899-1963
Glass Plate Negatives
- 95 Items
- 1890-1920
There are three sizes of glass plate negatives in these papers. For terms of simplicity these have been designated “small,” “medium,” and “large”. The bulk of the small negatives are 3.5”x5.5”, the bulk of the medium negatives are 4”x6”, and the bulk of the large negatives are 8”x10”. The large format glass negatives include two scenic views of Lake George and four images of John S. Apperson's hometown in Virginia. The Virginia images portray extended Apperson family photos and images of the Virginia countryside.
Ambrotypes
- 4 Items
The four ambrotypes (glass plate positives) in the collection depict early Adirondack winter hiking. The figures hiking in these photographs may be wearing outfitting gear found in the 1911 German Outfitting Catalogue found in the Organization Records and Publications series within these papers.
Ambrotypes
- 4 Items
- 1914-1917
Lantern Slides
- 80 Items
The collection contains 80 lantern slides. The majority of the lantern slides depict skate sailing, winter hiking, shoreline erosion, and lumbering.
Lantern Slides
- 80 Items
- 1890-1920
35mm Slides
- 1 Box
The slides were grouped into three numbered "files" by the papers' previous processors. Also in the collection is a group of 100 A. E. Newkirk Slides and a file of "Apperson Associates" slides. The original order of the slides is unknown, however, the "files" arrangement has been retained along with an item-level identification for each slide prepared by Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks volunteers familiar with the collection.
File One
- 100 Items
File Two
- 99 Items
File Three
- 161 Items
A. E. Newkirk Slides
- 100 Items
Apperson Associates Slides
- 55 Items
Audio Recordings
- 2 items
"Speeches At Caldwell's Dinner"
- 1 reel
- 1957-03-23
Speeches from Caldwell's Dinner featuring J. S. Apperson, C. B. Caldwell, R. Lowe, J. Thomas, J. B. Newkirk, W. M. White, and O. Eisenhower with some recording of the "start of above party after Eisenhower speech".
"Talk At Leatherstocking Club," Oswego, N.Y.
- 1 reel
- 1955-05-05
Magnetic audio recording of lectures by Atwater, Ham, and Gaylord at the Leatherstocking Club in Oswego, N.Y., on May 5, 1955. Play at 3 3/4 speed.