emperor norton

Comic courtesy of SFGate.com - Farley, Phil Frank

A little History

Joshua Norton was a merchant from South Africa who arrived in San Francisco during the Gold Rush. He made a fortune through investments in real estate and commodities. After attempting and failing to corner the rice market he disappeared only to reemerge as the self-proclaimed “Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico”. Dressed in an ancient military uniform, he walked regally through the streets of San Francisco. Everyone knew him. People bowed to him on the streets and rose when he entered the theater. Shopkeepers accepted his self-printed “Norton notes” as payment. Mark Twain even wrote eulogies for Norton’s two dogs, Lazarus and Bummer. In 1869, he commanded that a bridge be built between Oakland and San Francisco pledging $3 million dollars of “royal funds”. 57 years after his death that bridge spanned the bay. Upon the Emperor’s death in 1880, Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, “In what other city would a harmless madman who supposed himself emperor have been so fostered and encouraged?” Whether a clever con man or just plain mad, Norton had found an enduring realm “no smaller than the city’s heart.”

A historic Building

Norton’s Vault is housed in one the few buildings that survived the 1906 earthquake and subsequent fire. It was built in 1878 by a local cigar magnate as a commercial investment. Each floor of the building houses at least two large vaults, hence the name Norton’s Vault. The vaults serviced the former federal bank across the street. The emperor himself lived one block north on Commercial Street and the gentleman who printed Norton’s “notes” plied his trade just around the corner in Leidsdorf Alley (one vault in particular has not been opened in decades, maybe someday we’ll call Geraldo to see if he can investigate) Norton’s Vault takes great pride in showcasing just a portion of the rich history of San Francisco with original photos that grace our walls. The “Vault” is a popular stop for tourists that visit the Barbary Coast Trail and history buffs in general.