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

"Be Nortonian" on Empire Day 2024

September 17th is 165th Anniversary of the Public Reign of Emperor Norton

On the morning of 17 September 1859, Joshua Abraham Norton made his way to the Montgomery Street office of the San Francisco Daily Evening Bulletin newspaper

Joshua handed the person in charge a piece of paper with a Proclamation declaring himself Emperor of the United States.

The Bulletin printed it in that evening's edition.

 
 

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EXACTLY 156 YEARS LATER, in 2015, The Emperor Norton Trust inaugurated a new annual holiday to mark the anniversary of this momentous occasion.

We called it Empire Day.

Tuesday September 17th is the 165th anniversary of Joshua Norton's public reign as Emperor.

On this Empire Day, here’s a fun way to honor the Emp in 3 easy steps:

1) Do something Nortonian.

Could be:

  • dressing up

  • doing an act of kindness

  • being weird

  • singing a song

  • reciting a poem

  • supporting a cause

Whatever "being Nortonian" means to you!

2) Take a photo or video of yourself doing this Nortonian thing.

3) Post it to Facebook and/or Twitter on Tuesday September 17th — including:

  • A line about what Empire Day is — and how that connects to your photo or video

  • The hashtags #EmpireDay and #BeNortonian

  • Challenge others to follow your lead

  • Tag The Emperor Norton Trust

    • Facebook @EmperorNortonTrust

    • Twitter @EmpNortonTrust

We want to see a lot of great Empire Day photos and videos — enough to enable us to follow up with a gallery the next day!

So, don't forget to tag us, so we can include you!!!

Cheers!

© 2025 The Emperor Norton Trust  |  Site design: Alisha Lumea  |  Background: Original image courtesy of Erica Fischer