Lamchin
Encyclopedia
The Lamchin were one of many tribes of the Ohlone (Coastanoan)
people, Native Americans
who lived along the San Francisco Peninsula
. The Lamchin were the native inhabitants of what is now San Carlos, California
. Information is sparse and dispersed, coming mostly from Spanish mission
records - as the natives had no written language. The collected information follows over 100 years of research by many noted historians. The Lamchin are believed to be extinct - as historical, statistical and limited written accounts would seem to indicate.
Their north-western neighbors were the Ssalson, to the south the Suchihín, and to the east the Puichon, respectively in present-day Belmont, California
, the southern end of Crystal Springs Reservoir
, and Redwood City, California
. All the groups are considered part of the Ohlone
(or Costanoan) language group. The Ohlone group language has been labeled Utian
.
The Lamchin may have had two villages named Ormostac, close to the Ssalson and Cachanigtac, their main village in what is now directly south of the downtown San Carlos. The main village name appears to contain a word for vermin
, which the Spanish missionaries translated as las Pulgas (the Fleas). The names still lives on as Alameda de las Pulgas, a local main thoroughfare connecting peninsula towns along the feet of the foothills.
The first native inhabitants were baptized in the missions around 1779, and last around 1790.
Currently only Milliken (1995) and Brown (1973) cover Lamchin material sufficiently for reference. The table below gives a few of the (currently) known spellings, with Milliken getting preference.
Ohlone
The Ohlone people, also known as the Costanoan, are a Native American people of the central California coast. When Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived in the late 18th century, the Ohlone inhabited the area along the coast from San Francisco Bay through Monterey Bay to the lower Salinas Valley...
people, Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
who lived along the San Francisco Peninsula
San Francisco Peninsula
The San Francisco Peninsula is a peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area that separates the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. On its northern tip is the City and County of San Francisco. Its southern base is in Santa Clara County, including the cities of Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Mountain...
. The Lamchin were the native inhabitants of what is now San Carlos, California
San Carlos, California
San Carlos is a city in San Mateo County, California, USA on the San Francisco Peninsula, about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. It is an affluent small residential suburb located between Belmont to the north and Redwood City to the south. San Carlos' ZIP code is 94070, and it is within...
. Information is sparse and dispersed, coming mostly from Spanish mission
Spanish missions in California
The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of religious and military outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 1769 and 1823 to spread the Christian faith among the local Native Americans. The missions represented the first major effort by Europeans to...
records - as the natives had no written language. The collected information follows over 100 years of research by many noted historians. The Lamchin are believed to be extinct - as historical, statistical and limited written accounts would seem to indicate.
Their north-western neighbors were the Ssalson, to the south the Suchihín, and to the east the Puichon, respectively in present-day Belmont, California
Belmont, California
Belmont is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is in the San Francisco Bay Area, located half-way down the San Francisco Peninsula between San Mateo and San Carlos. It was originally part of the Rancho de las Pulgas, for which one of its main roads, the Alameda de las Pulgas,...
, the southern end of Crystal Springs Reservoir
Crystal Springs Reservoir
Crystal Springs Reservoir is a pair of artificial lakes located in the northern Santa Cruz Mountains of San Mateo County, California situated in the rift valley created by the San Andreas Fault just to the west of the cities of San Mateo and Hillsborough, and I-280...
, and Redwood City, California
Redwood City, California
Redwood City is a California charter city located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California, approximately 27 miles south of San Francisco, and 24 miles north of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans from its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people, to its tradition as a port for...
. All the groups are considered part of the Ohlone
Ohlone
The Ohlone people, also known as the Costanoan, are a Native American people of the central California coast. When Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived in the late 18th century, the Ohlone inhabited the area along the coast from San Francisco Bay through Monterey Bay to the lower Salinas Valley...
(or Costanoan) language group. The Ohlone group language has been labeled Utian
Utian languages
Utian is a family of indigenous languages spoken in the central and north portion of California, United States. The Miwok and Ohlone peoples both spoke languages in the Utian linguistic group...
.
The Lamchin may have had two villages named Ormostac, close to the Ssalson and Cachanigtac, their main village in what is now directly south of the downtown San Carlos. The main village name appears to contain a word for vermin
Vermin
Vermin is a term applied to various animal species regarded by some as pests or nuisances and especially to those associated with the carrying of disease. Since the term is defined in relation to human activities, which species are included will vary from area to area and even person to person...
, which the Spanish missionaries translated as las Pulgas (the Fleas). The names still lives on as Alameda de las Pulgas, a local main thoroughfare connecting peninsula towns along the feet of the foothills.
The first native inhabitants were baptized in the missions around 1779, and last around 1790.
Differences in spelling
It bears repeating that the Spanish mission records are fuzzy and sparse. Spelling differs on many entries for the same word, as the missionaries were trying to write with reference to their native language. We, in turn, re-write to our phonetic references and language. As such, authorities on this subject differ in spelling.Currently only Milliken (1995) and Brown (1973) cover Lamchin material sufficiently for reference. The table below gives a few of the (currently) known spellings, with Milliken getting preference.
| Milliken (1995) | Brown (1973) |
|---|---|
| Lamchin | Lamshín |
| Ormostac | Wuloisnístac |
| Cachanigtac | Cachaníhtac |
Additional reading
- Cook, Sherburne F. The Population of the California Indians, 1769-1970. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, June 1976. ISBN 0-520-02923-2.
- Teixeira, Lauren. The Costanoan/Ohlone Indians of the San Francisco and Monterey Bay Area, A Research Guide. Menlo Park, CA: Ballena Press Publication, 1997. ISBN 0-87919-141-4.