Panhe: Place by the Water

Panhe: Place by the Water. . , The ancient village of Panhe (pan), meaning "place by the water" in the Acjachemen (A-ha-che-men) language, is nestled along the San Mateo Creek. The Acjachemen are the Native Americans of Orange and Northern San Diego County who have called this valley home for thousands of years., The abundant water, plentiful deer, rabbit, quail, sea life, and plants made this valley an ideal place for a village. The plants were used as food, medicine, shelter, and clothing. The village life consisted of numerous extended families. Life for the Acjachemen was drastically altered in 1769 when explorers from Spain arrived to create permanent settlements in California. This resulted in the creation of 21 missions along California's El Camino Real, or "Royal Highway". A mission at San Juan Capistrano was built in 1776 and Panhe, a large village, became a major source of labor for this construction. The first baptism in California took place one mile inland from present day San Mateo Campground, when two dying children were baptized, hence the street name adjoining the San Mateo campground, "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., The Acjachemen continue to hold Panhe as a special place through numerous ceremonies and cultural gatherings.