The original 1950's CASCADE Logo!

FOLLOWING founder Larry Ogden's six years working with Cascade in the UK, Europe and USA between 1965 - 1971, Cascade New Zealand started building home swimming pools in October 1971

Original 1951 CASCADE USA
Founder: Ed Gorman (1918 - 1989)

Cascade Industries Incorporated (U.S.A.)
Founding President & CEO 1951 - 1975 Ed & Norma Gorman

ED SAYS:
"In Post War 1949 we had a huge bunch of consumers who wanted the good life. Concrete pools were so expensive only the rich could afford them.

In 1951 a Cascade pool could be sold for $995 ex factory (+ 5% War Tax) as a "Do it yourself" project ...everybody could have one of these and orders could also be placed through the Sears Roebuck Catalog of 1952.

We started signing up Dealers and installing pools in New Jersey and a top favourite was the 15 x 30 foot kidney shaped "Capri" - it sold for $1,495 installed.

In 1954 We started selling via the "Spiegel Mail Order Catalog" and Spiegel flew their team out to watch us put a pool together in just a couple of days.

Spiegel were so excited about it, they sold 58 pools in the first year.

Hey, an extra 58 pools was a lot for us in those days. We introduced the Steel Wall Pool "Islander Range" in the early 1960's and through (Export Manager) Ted Barrie, you could now buy a CASCADE pool in 28 countries world-wide! - from New Jersey to New Zealand"

Cascade people that I remember from the 1960's: Ed Gorman (Cascade Partner/ Ray Westdyke Pools NJ with Norma Westdyke/Gorman) Bob West (US Engineer/designer) Charlie Adams (US Dealer Manager) Ted Barrie (US based International Sales Manager & wife Mikki BArrie) Sam Gold (UK General Manager, wife Vera Gold) Cyril Slater (UK Warehouseman) Robert (Bob) Smith (UK Pool Installer)

The History of Swimming Pools in the USA
Story: Rebecca Robledo (edited for brevity/expanded for content)

Thanks to the introduction of Gunite and hand-packing concrete, the price of residential swimming pools plummeted between the mid 1940s and late 1950s, but they continued to remain out of reach for many homeowners in the Northeast and Midwest, where harsh weather conditions necessitated more expensive construction.

Several pioneering manufacturers reached out to the new middle class by producing and packaging easy-to-install wall systems with all the necessary components. As an added benefit, this method of installation required fewer men and a simpler building process than any in-ground pool to date. The first company to offer such a package, Cascade Industries, opened its doors in 1951. The company offered three sizes: 12 by 27 feet, 16 by 34 feet and 24 by 40 feet, all with depths starting at 3 feet and sloping down to 7 or 8 feet. The use of concrete blocks for the walls, however, did result in one problem: The non-standard size of blocks mean the pool could be as much as 6 inches off the original plans - meaning the pool liner would not fit.

These early packages did present their share of problems: The filters cost extra, and the fittings and drains used for concrete pools didn't work. Cascade's founders soon looked to the boating industry for components that could be adapted to vinyl-liner pools.

Within a few years, Cascade and Esther Willams Pools (under License to Esther) began offering pools with walls made of relatively new products: Aluminum, Galvanised Steel and Pressure-treated Wood. Cascade offered its 16 x 32 foot wood-walled model through the 1954 Spiegel catalog. The package contained panels, lumber bracing, liner, coping, a tank for filtration, four gate valves, 70 feet of 1 -inch pipe and 40 feet of 1-1/4-inch pipe, plus fittings, instructions and a layout kit. It sold for $995.00 plus the retained war years Federal Tax of 5%. Soon after this, Heldor Industries came out with a poured-concrete/vinyl liner package pool.

Esther - under the banner "Esther Williams Pools" was soon to follow in 1956 with her concrete-block package vinyl liner pools. The floors were finished with sand before crews placed the 20mil (.500mm) liners over the structure. The coping had no track-and-beading system to hold the liner in place, so builders wrapped the liner around the pool top.

(left) Esther in Canada Dry ginger ale magazine ad c.1947

After acting or starring in 102 "flicks" - many of them "Westerns", Buster retired from the movies in 1949.

He joined the swimming pool business fultime with CASCADE INC. - introducing and promoting his "Buster Crabbe" line of Cascade Learned swimming pools.

Over the ensuing 30 years - until his death on 23 April 1983, Buster was active in the promotion of CASCADE pools - spending many hours at shopping mall promotions, and static displays at exhibitions. He was also active in his weekend Pool Learner pool camps he held to teach swimming to young kids.

In his "spare" time, Buster devoted time to promoting Health and Exercise at one of his many Christian Youth Camps in NY State.

He married only once - to college sweetheart Adah V Held - and that lasted until his death over 50 years later!

In the early 1960's, CASCADE INC - mainly due to the the determination of Sales VP SeymourTheodore (Ted) Barrie - expanded into overseas countries. Japan, and the Phillipines in the west, and United Kingdom and Europe in the east.

By the late 1960's you could buy a CASCADE "Buster Crabbe" pool in 28 countries - and you could guarantee the quality would be the same wherever you were located.

Dealerships were commenced in England, Ireland, Channel Islands, Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Malta. Cascade held regular Dealer Seminars,

The CASCADE family expanded to New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific Region in the 1970's becoming truly a GLOBAL COMPANY. In New Zealand "CASCADE" has become a household name for swimming pools proudly produced by Cascade Industries.

THE MILLION DOLLAR MERMAID
An Autobiography
By Esther Williams
Simon & Schuster, 1999 (320 pages, $26.00)
Hardcover, ISBN: 0-684-85284-5
BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY/General