In 1769 a Spanish expedition led by Gaspar de Portolá discovered Chumash Indians building tomols, or plank canoes, on the beach below their village. The Indians were caulking their tomols with asphaltum that came from natural oil seeps in the sand. Impressed with these carpenter Indians, the explorers named the village La Carpinteria, meaning "The Carpenter Shop," and it later became known as Carpinteria.