San Deigo Historic Site 562 LA CRISTIANITA

Fathers Crespi and Gomez, while on the Portola expedition to find Monterey Bay,in 1769, performed the first baptisms in Alta California. This occurred a few days after leaving the site of the Presidio of San Diego in mid-July. As the expedition journeyed north, on July 22 it entered Cristianitos Canyon on thepresent Orange County line. Scouts told them that there were two small childrendying in an Indian village nearby. The priests found one baby dying at its mother'sbreast and another small girl dying of burns. Father Gomez baptized the baby,naming her "Maria Magdalena." Father Crespi baptized the child, naming her "Margarita".The site of the baptisms, a spring in the Los Cristianitos Canyon, or"Valle de los Bautismos," is situated in Camp Pendleton. A plaque commemorating