RECENT RESEARCH — A newly unearthed photograph showing the north side of the 600 block of Commercial Street, San Francisco, in the aftermath of the earthquake and fires of 1906 reveals, for the first time, visual evidence of the fate of the building that housed the Eureka Lodgings, where Emperor Norton lived from 1864–65 until his death in 1880. Our analysis of the photo sharpens the focus on the identities and locations of the buildings along this stretch — and exactly what each building suffered in 1906. Includes our highly researched new infographic that can be used as a tool for understanding the history of this location.

The Emperor Norton Trust

TO HONOR THE LIFE + ADVANCE THE LEGACY OF JOSHUA ABRAHAM NORTON

RESEARCH • EDUCATION • ADVOCACY

Remember the Emperor on His Day

January 05, 2015  /  John Lumea

On the evening of Thursday 8 January 1880, Emperor Norton made his way from his digs at the Eureka Lodgings, 624 Commercial Street, to the Academy of Natural Sciences, at the southwest corner of California and Dupont Streets in San Francisco. He was headed to the monthly debate of the Hastings Society. The debate was to begin at 8 p.m. He never made it.

The Emperor walked up the hill and along the final block, on California between Kearny and Dupont. But, when he reached Dupont (now Grant Avenue), he collapsed and shortly died.

For many years now, 8 January has been commemorated as Emperor Norton Day.

This Thursday evening 8 January — on the 135th anniversary of the Emperor's death — bring candles and flowers and join Emperor Norton as played by our friend Joseph Amster, of Emperor Norton's Fantastic San Francisco Time Machine, in a memorial reenactment tracing the Emperor's final steps. 

Learn more about the event and RSVP here.

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For those of you in the Bay Area who wish to make an informal pilgrimage to Emperor Norton's grave on this day, The Emperor's Bridge Campaign* invites you to join us at Woodlawn Cemetery — in Colma, Calif., adjacent to the Colma BART station (Google Map) — at 2 p.m. this Thursday.

Once you reach Woodlawn, the Emperor's gravesite is at the location marked in blue, below.

After a brief moment of silence at the gravesite, we will adjourn for a toast to the nearby Molloy's Tavern, the traditional Colma watering hole for the Emperor's subjects.

An RSVP is not required — but, if you plan to join us, please drop us a line here.

We hope to see you! 


* In December 2019, The Emperor's Bridge Campaign adopted a new name: The Emperor Norton Trust.

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