PRESIDENTS’S MESSAGE – May 2024
One of my favorite characters in California Jewish History is Joshua Abraham Norton, a 19th Century resident of San Francisco. He arrived in San Francisco in 1849 and became a successful trader in commodities and real estate. His success ran out in 1852 when he attempted to corner the rice market during a famine in China. He bought the entire shipment of rice on a vessel coming into San Francisco from Peru. Unfortunately, several other shiploads of rice came in from Peru at the same time and after protracted litigation Joshua went from one of the prosperous people in the city to a person of much reduced means.
Becoming disillusioned with the political and legal situation in the United States, he submitted a manifesto to the San Francisco Daily Evening Bulletin, which the paper published for the apparent amusement of its readers:
At the peremptory request and desire of a large majority of the citizens of these United States, I, Joshua Norton, formerly of Algoa Bay, Cape of Good Hope, and now for the last 9 years and 10 months past of San Francisco, California, declare and proclaim myself Emperor of these United States; and in virtue of the authority thereby in me vested, do hereby order and direct the representatives of the different States of the Union to assemble in Musical Hall, of this city, on the 1st day of February next, then and there to make such alterations in the existing laws of the Union as may ameliorate the evils under which the country is laboring, and thereby cause confidence to exist, both at home and abroad, in our stability and integrity.
— NORTON I., Emperor of the United States.
Following Napoleon’s invasion of Mexico in 1863, he added “Protector of Mexico” to his title.
Emperor Norton continued to make official decrees calling for the reorganization of Congress, and even decreed that “Whoever after due and proper warning shall be heard to utter the abominable word ‘Frisco’, which has no linguistic or other warrant, shall be deemed guilty of a High Misdemeanor, and shall pay into the Imperial Treasury as penalty the sum of twenty-five dollars.” His more percipient orders were for the construction of a bridge between Oakland and San Francisco and a tunnel under the Bay.
Emperor Norton issued his own currency, which was accepted for value by many of his subjects. On January 8, 1880, he collapsed and died on the corner of California and Dupont (now Grant) Streets. To save this colorful character from a pauper’s grave, the Pacific Club, a local business organization, provided funds for a proper casket and burial. Although Joshua Norton was a Jew, the local Jewish community basically ignored his passing and internment, a snub for which our own Rabbi William M. Kramer later took the community to task in his 1974 book, Emperor Norton of San Francisco: A look at the life and death and strange burials of the most famous eccentric of gold rush California.
Emperor Norton was laid to rest in the Masonic Cemetery in San Francisco. In 1934 his remains were transferred to a grave site at Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Colma, California. Beginning at the start of the 20th Century, San Francisco banned new burials, and later directed the removal and reinternment of virtually all graves in the city, most of which now reside in Colma.
Last month Diane and I were in San Francisco, and I had the opportunity to visit the grave of this remarkable character in California Jewish history, who, thanks to the scholarly work of our late Rabbi Emeritus, has an everlasting connection to our Temple Beth Emet. I like to think Emperor Norton would have been a welcome member of our eclectic Temple family!
IRA L. GOLDSTEIN, President
