Ackerman Overlook
Near Manitou Springs, Colorado
This pull-off looks west across the Front Range toward Pikes Peak and the United States Air Force Academy, and it is named for a man who started at the very bottom and climbed. Jasper Ackerman went to work as an elevator operator at a bank in Colorado Springs. He served his country in both world wars, earning decorations for his service.
Back home, he worked his way up at that same bank from running the elevator to chairman and chief executive, staying for decades. He helped found the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo and gave generously to the Air Force Academy nearby. He is also said to have paid for college educations for children whose families could not afford it.
This overlook, with its wide view of the mountains he loved, carries his name.
