Did you know that the United States had an emperor? Joshua Abraham Norton (1818 – 1880) was a resident of San Francisco and self-proclaimed Norton I, Emperor of the United States. He came to the United States from England via South Africa and participated in the California Gold Rush boom and bust. It was after his own personal bust (selling Peruvian rice which quickly became devalued) that he claimed his throne in 1859.

While serving his Imperial post, Norton dressed the part with elaborate outfits and issued a series of proclamations. His most famous proclamation is probably the 1872 call for building a suspension bridge connecting Oakland and San Francisco through Yerba Buena Island (then named Goat Island). That idea seemed absurd at the time but the bridge was constructed some 60+ years later. Some of the proclamations posted in newspapers may not have originated from him but rather other people intent on benefiting from Norton’s notoriety.

Rumors surrounded Norton, including that he was a descendent of Napolean III or that he was secretly wealthy and only lived as a pauper because he was miserly. Whether he was taken seriously or considered a side show, the city of San Francisco recognized Norton by accepting his own currency and attending his funeral (supposedly 10,000 people attended and the procession was 2 miles long). His remains are at the Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Colma, CA (south of San Francisco). Today a plaque honoring Emperor Norton is in a tavern in South San Francisco.