Emperor Norton's Un-Final Resting Place
Where Were the Emperor’s Remains Located from the Time They Were Disinterred in San Francisco in 1932 Until the Time They Were Reburied in Colma in 1934?
If you know the Emperor Norton story well enough to know that…
When the Emperor died in January 1880, he was buried in the Masonic Cemetery, in San Francisco.
As part of the Great San Francisco Cemetery Eviction of the early twentieth century, the Emperor’s remains were moved to new grave, at Woodlawn cemetery, in Colma, Calif.
The Emperor’s reburial ceremony took place at Woodlawn on 30 June 1934.
…you may have assumed that the Emperor “remained” at the Masonic Cemetery more or less until the time of the reburial ceremony.
In fact, Emperor Norton was disinterred 20 months earlier.
On 18 October 1932, a UPI article reporting on the disinterment project at the Masonic Cemetery included the following poignant detail:
From “Ghouls Make Carnival in City of Dead,” in San Francisco Examiner, 18 October 1932, p. 1. Source: Newspapers.com
Two months later, in late December 1932, came reports that the exclusive Pacific-Union Club had just agreed to fund the removal of Emperor Norton’s remains to San Mateo County, where the remains were expected eventually to be reburied at Woodlawn cemetery, in Colma — which originated as the “new Masonic cemetery.”
The Pacific-Union Club — the “P-U” — was the successor to the Pacific Club, whose members in 1880 — led by Emperor Norton’s old friend Joseph Eastland — had funded the Emperor’s rosewood-and-silver casket and his funeral.
From “Spirit of Emperor Norton Again Parades Through City in Splendor,” in San Francisco Examiner, 19 December 1932, p. 3. Source: Newspapers.com
But, where were the Emperor’s remains located between October 1932 and the June 1934 ceremony solemnizing his reburial at Woodlawn?
Leading up to the ceremony, the Oakland Tribune on 16 June 1934 noted that “[t]he Emperor’s body” was to “be brought from the grave in San Mateo where it was taken last year.” [emphasis mine]
From “‘Emperor’ Will Be Given Honor,” in Oakland Tribune, 16 June 1934, p. 3. Source: Newspapers.com
On the day of the ceremony, 30 June 1934, the San Francisco Examiner reported that “last year, the [Emperor’s] body…was moved to a vault in San Mateo County.” [emphases mine]
From “Drums to Sound Muffled Note As S.F. Buries Emperor Norton,” in San Francisco Examiner, 30 June 1934, p. 5. Source Newspapers.com
On that same date, the San Mateo Times used similar language in reporting that “last year [the Emperor’s] body was moved to a vault in this county.” [emphases mine]
From “Emperor Norton Finds Final Resting Place in San Mateo,” in San Mateo Times, 30 June 1934, p.3 (article beginning on page 1). Source: Newspapers.com
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SO, WERE Emperor Norton’s remains in a “vault” for the 20 months between October 1932 and June 1934? Or, were they in a “grave”?
Were the Emperor’s remains somewhere else in “San Mateo County” during this period — or, were they at Woodlawn cemetery, which had been established in 1904, the whole time?
Assuming that San Francisco’s cemetery evictions of the early twentieth century were overseen by San Francisco authorities, we might have assumed that Emperor Norton’s remains were kept in San Francisco.
But, at a minimum, it appears that the Emperor was biding his time somewhere in San Mateo County.
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