5 August 2026/SF Politics/Leanne Maxwell (SFist.com)
State Senator Scott Weiner proposed naming the Bay Bridge’s Yerba Buena Tunnel after local folk icon, the late Emperor Norton, who first conceived of the idea of connecting SF and Oakland more than half a century before the bridge came to be.
The proposal to officially name the Bay Bridge’s Yerba Buena Tunnel after the late Emperor Norton builds on years of efforts to honor the eccentric San Franciscan. As the Chronicle reports, state Senator Scott Wiener introduced a resolution Tuesday, with Assemblymember Catherine Stefani joining as a co-author. If approved by the Legislature, Caltrans would estimate the cost of new signage and install it after privately raised funds cover the expense.
Joshua Abraham Norton, who famously declared himself “Emperor of the United States” and “Protector of Mexico,” arrived in San Francisco during the Gold Rush era as a wealthy businessman, but lost his fortune after a failed attempt to corner the rice market. After falling from high society, he reinvented himself as Emperor Norton in 1859, issuing elaborate decrees that newspapers eagerly published and turning his fictional reign into a citywide phenomenon.
SFist’s Joe Kukura described Norton as “a Gold Rush-era bon vivant who combined the local-legend cult-following magic of Frank Chu, the crassly effective media manipulation of Donald Trump, and the inexplicable cultural staying power of a Kardashian to be the most talked-about San Francisco socialite of the [city’s] earliest years.”
According to the Chronicle, Norton’s declarations ranged from abolishing Congress and political parties to advocating for a bridge between San Francisco and Oakland, the latter of which came to fruition 56 years after his death. Despite the absurdity of his title, Norton became a beloved local figure known for speaking out against anti-Chinese discrimination and promoting ideas of peace and inclusion.
“Emperor Norton was a San Francisco original,” Wiener said in a statement. “At a time when Chinese Californians were being targeted with exclusion and harassment, he stood up against hate and preached inclusion. At a time of war, he stood against violence and hostility.”
The effort traces back more than a decade to the Emperor Norton Trust’s 2013 petition seeking to add “Emperor Norton Bridge” as an honorary name for the entire Bay Bridge, a campaign that drew roughly 7,000 signatures. About a year ago, the trust shifted its focus to the currently unnamed Yerba Buena Tunnel, which founder John Lumea told the Chronicle was a more practical proposal after years of building support from local organizations before approaching lawmakers and eventually securing Wiener’s backing.
The proposal has received endorsements from groups including the Imperial Council of San Francisco, the Chinese Historical Society of America, and the California Lodge No. 1 of Free and Accepted Masons. Under the resolution, the Legislature would have the authority to officially name the tunnel. Caltrans would then estimate the cost of new signage, with the Emperor Norton Trust expected to raise private funds to pay for and install the signs if the measure passes.
In 2023, former Supervisor Aaron Peskin renamed a Financial District alley after him. Peskin previously attempted in 2004 to rename the entire Bay Bridge in Norton’s honor.
Norton died in 1880, and his funeral was reportedly attended by 10,000 mourners, with an estimated 30,000 taking part in the procession. He was originally buried at the former Masonic Cemetery before his remains were moved to Woodlawn Memorial Park in Colma, when the city’s cemeteries were relocated in the early 1900s.
Note: The post was updated with clarifications regarding funding for the tunnel and Caltrans’s role in the official naming. Additionally, the Yerba Buena Tunnel does not currently have an “official” name, so the wording throughout has been changed from “renamed” to “named.”
Previously: Newly Renamed Street ‘Emperor Norton Place’ Gets Proper Dedication, In Wild Ceremony With Doggie Diner Heads
Image: Mural at Emperor Norton Boozeland/Google Maps
