Celebrate Halloween with a John McLoughlin Jack-O-Lantern

OREGON CITY, OR — The Clackamas County Historical Society has shared a Halloween treat for history buffs across Oregon. You can now download a John McLoughlin pumpkin template and create a jack-o'-lantern out of it. McLoughlin became known as the "Father of Oregon" for his role in helping America in the the Pacific Northwest. He's also the founder of Oregon City.

John McLoughlin (1784-1857) made his name helping people coming across the Oregon Trail. His home on Center Street in Oregon City is now a nationally recognized landmark, the McLoughlin House Museum. You can tour the McLoughlin House on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Anthony Moore wrote on the Clackamas County Historical Society Facebook page if the society had a "Hillary or Trump" pumpkin template.

"Nope! Just JMcL [John McLoughlin], the terror of Oregon City!," the Historical Society responded.

Once you’ve got your pumpkin and John McLoughlin template, follow these steps to carve the ultimate jack-o'-lantern:

1. Cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin with a large kitchen knife, serrated preferred. Be sure to cut at about a 45 degree angle inward so the top will sit nicely once you’re done carving. If you’re carving with kids, adults should take care of this step.
2. Use a large spoon, or a pumpkin scraper to get all of the guts and seeds out of the pumpkin. Make sure the side you’ll be carving your design into is nice and clean, and if you’re planning on saving the seeds for roasting, this is a good time to separate them from the rest of the guts.
3. Now it’s time to either sketch out your design or trace a stencil so you can start carving. If you’re drawing on the pumpkin a sharpie or other permanent marker is the best option as it won’t smear. (Tracing a stencil can be challenging, especially if it is a more advanced design. Most pumpkin carving kits will provide a “pounce wheel” or you can try a connect-the-dots style.)
4. After your design is on the pumpkin, it’s time to start carving. It’s definitely worth investing in a pumpkin carving kit because the blades will allow for more control, and they’re a lot safer than kitchen knives, especially for kids.
5. When carving out different parts of the design, be careful not to go too far when working in close quarters. The cleaner the cut, the easier it will be to take the carved parts out without tearing nearby rind.
6. Carefully remove the pieces that need to be removed and clean up any rough edges.
7. With your pumpkin cleaned and design carved, get either a battery-operated light or use a candle in some sort of holder. Don’t ever put a candle by itself in the pumpkin, which could be a huge fire hazard.
8. When your pumpkins are done, find somewhere to display them proudly on Halloween and keep an eye on them if you decide to use candles.

Additional reporting by Josh Flynn

Image courtesy of the Clackamas County Historical Society