Scappoose is a bedroom community of Portland with a population of approximately 6,000 people. It lies "20"
miles Northwest of Portland along Hwy 30. Because it has a weather station at the Scappoose Industrial Airpark, Scappoose is always shown on television weather maps on Portland news stations. Scappoose is a Chinook
Indian name and means "gravelly plains," hence why Loan Star lake now exists on the east side of town from digging out too much gravel. Scappoose is also home to "The
Peace Candle of the World," which at one
time held the Guinness World Record for world's largest candle. Although Scappoose is a small country town, it is the hometown of several notable residents including
Michael Curry, a world famous puppeteer and artist, NFL quarterback Derek Anderson, and Playboy Playmate of the Year, Sara Jean Underwood. It is also home to the West Coast Shoe Factory, which makes custom high-end industrial
boots. People from Scappoose, call themselves, "Scappoosians"
And contrary to several news anchor mispronunciations, the "a" in Scappoose is pronounced like the "a" in "
cat." It is not pronounced like "Scu" as in "uh."
Portlander:
Hey, where did you
grow up?
Scappoosian: I grew up in Scappoose.
Portlander: Oh yea, in Washington?
Scappoosian: No, dumb Portland person, it's in
Oregon!
