Where Emperor Norton Fell

A bankrupt declared himself ruler of the country, and for twenty years San Francisco did not argue.

Collection: San Francisco: More Stories · USA · Open in OpenStreetMap

Emperor Norton in uniform, studio portrait · Bradley & Rulofson, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

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How the story begins

He had a few dollars in his pockets when he collapsed at this corner, and he had been Emperor of the United States for twenty years. Joshua Norton had been a rich merchant. In December 1852 he tried to corner the city's rice, with a shipload from Peru at twelve and a half cents a pound. More ships came, and the price fell to three cents. He lost in the state Supreme Court and went bankrupt.

The rest is in the app. Peplos plays the full story when you reach the place. You can also listen ahead of time.