California Lodge No. 1 of Free and Accepted Masons Endorses "Emperor Norton Tunnel" Naming Proposal
After Posthumously Reinstating Joshua Norton in 2025, Oldest Masonic Lodge in California Continues Its Legacy of Care and Commemoration of the Emperor
THE EMPEROR NORTON TRUST is delighted to announce that the Members and Officers of California Lodge No. 1 of Free and Accepted Masons have issued a statement in support of the Trust's proposal that the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge tunnel through Yerba Buena Island, S.F., be named the
EMPEROR NORTON TUNNEL
Here is the statement (pdf):
Chartered in 1848, California 1 is the oldest Masonic lodge in California. Joshua Norton was a member of the San Francisco-based Occidental Lodge 22 from August 1854 until June 1858, when he was suspended for non-payment of dues. When Occidental 22 merged with California 1 in 1975, Joshua and his legacy came under California 1’s particular care.
In June 2024, The Emperor Norton Trust suggested to California 1 that they look into posthumously reinstating Joshua Norton as a Mason. This they did in June 2025.
John Bermudez, Master of California 1, notes that the Lodge reinstated Joshua
for many of the same reasons that we think it fitting that this California folk hero be accorded the public honor of an “Emperor Norton Tunnel” naming: In addition to his issuing three imperial Proclamations in 1872 setting out the original vision for the Nay Bridge, Joshua Norton as Emperor was a pioneer champion of the values of fairness, tolerance, self-determination, and the common good that came to define his adopted city and region — values that Masons also hold dear.
The Emperor Norton Trust is honored by the support of California Lodge No. 1 of Free and Accepted Masons Chinese for our “Emperor Norton Tunnel” naming proposal.
This endorsement follows endorsements earlier this month from the Imperial Council of San Francisco and the Chinese Historical Society of America.
The Trust looks forward to working with California 1 to make the Emperor Norton Tunnel a reality — and is grateful for opportunity to continue partnering with the Lodge to strengthen the Emperor’s place in the public imagination.
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