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

EMPEROR NORTON  ::  Emperor's Norton’s Birth Date Project

One of the most elusive mysteries surrounding Emperor Norton has been the date of his birth. Most U.S. sources treat the year inscribed on his gravestone in Colma, Calif. — 1819 — as authoritative. But, in researching this question, The Emperor Norton Trust (previously The Emperor’s Bridge Campaign) has made a series of unreported (or under-reported) discoveries pointing to an earlier date that challenges the conventional wisdom.

Based on the best available evidence, it’s most likely that the Emperor was born on 4 February 1818.

As the organization that has documented and developed this case, the Trust since 2015 has been holding annual celebrations pegged to Emperor’s historical birth date.

In 2018, the Trust led San Francisco in commemorating Emperor Norton’s bicentennial, by producing Emperor Norton at 200, a 6-week series of exhibitions, talks and other special events. Our institutional partners in co-producing specific events in the series included the California Historical Society, the San Francisco Public Library, the Mechanics’ and the Society of California Pioneers. Honoring our request, the City lit both City Hall and Coit Tower in gold on the night of 4 February 2018.

In March 2020, The Library of Congress, at the request of The Emperor Norton Trust, updated its information for Emperor Norton, changing the Emperor’s birth year from 1819 to 1818 and adding 4 February 1818 as the birth date.

Below is a more complete summary of the Trust’s ongoing activities in support of this project, including links to our original research.

PAST EVENTS

RESEARCH, INFORMATION & ANALYSIS

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