Video: 'KGW Archive: 1971 Lighting of the Scappoose Peace Candle'

(Sunday, May 9, 1971) –The Peace Candle of the World, an approximately 50-foot-tall tower-like structure 18 feet in diameter in Scappoose, Oregon, was lit today by the town’s mayor and Oregon Governor Tom McCall with a specially-made 60-foot-long match.

The candle was built outside what was then the Brock Candles Inc. factory, which burned down in 1990. The land was formerly a dairy farm; factory owner Darrel Brock created the candle by covering a silo with 45,000 pounds of red candle wax to advertise the factory.

Video: 'Fate of Scappoose Peace Candle in question'

Due to difficulties in keeping the candle lit during rainfall, the wick was replaced with a natural gas line up the center of the candle to create a real flame at the top. However, due to environmental concerns and high gas bills, the flame was eventually replaced with an electric neon light flame structure.