Magnet - Cascades Jackson Michigan

The Legend of the Cascades, Jackson Michigan: The Cascades are a colorful monument of beauty and distinction which has brought fond memories to the millions of people who have visited them for over half a century. The Cascades are the result of one man’s dream to do something for the people of Jackson -- to build an attraction that would provide visitors with a positive impression of the city. That man was William Sparks. Sparks moved to Jackson from England in 1882 at the age of nine. At fourteen, he worked in a grocery store, 14-hour days with an ambitious determination to advance his career. Sparks’ civic dedication was evident by the fact that he was elected to three terms as Jackson’s mayor. He also organized the Zouaves, a famous drill team known for their cadence (300 steps per minute) marching with regulation Enfield rifles. The Jackson Zouaves performed throughout the world, and it was during a visit to Spain that he formed the idea for the Cascades from a fountain he saw there. The Cascades Falls opened to a crowd of 25,000 people on May 9, 1932, Captain Sparks’ 59th birthday. Visitors from all points of the globe came to Jackson to view the falls.