Panhe, meaning "place by the water" in the Acjachemen language, is an ancient village along San Mateo Creek in a valley that the Acjachemen, the Native Americans of Orange and northern San Diego County, have called home for thousands of years. Abundant water, deer, rabbit, quail, sea life, and plants made the valley an ideal village site, and plants provided food, medicine, shelter, and clothing, while village life consisted of numerous extended families. Acjachemen life changed drastically in 1769 when explorers from Spain arrived to establish permanent settlements in California, leading to the creation of 21 missions along El Camino Real, or "Royal Highway." When a mission at San Juan Capistrano was built in 1776, Panhe, a large village, became a major source of labor for its construction. California's first baptism took place one mile inland from present-day San Mateo Campground, where two dying children were baptized, giving the adjoining street near the campground the name "Cristianitos." Today, Panhe is a Traditional Cultural Property listed on the Sacred Lands File with the Native American Heritage Commission of the State of California and is eligible for the National Register as the San Mateo Archaeological District, and the Acjachemen continue to hold Panhe as a special place through numerous ceremonies and cultural gatherings.
