Starting back in 1923, people began talking about establishing a Lake George Park, to include the central section of Lake George (the islands of the Narrows, with mountains on both sides, plus Northwest Bay, and Paradise Bay), to prevent development and preserve the beautiful scenery. John Apperson, an engineer at GE, in Schenectady, wanted to promote this part of the lake for recreation, and started working hard to persuade wealthy land-owners to sell or donate their land to the state. Many philanthropists helped, yet some of the wealthy land-owners did not. Apperson encountered opposition from Conservation Commissioners and especially from Robert Moses, who controlled the purse-strings for state parks.