Fort Douglas

Fort Douglas
Company type	Military installation
Industry	Military
Founded	October 26, 1862; 164 years ago in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Fate	Officially closed in 1991; partial military presence continues until planned closure by 2026
Headquarters	Salt Lake City, United States
Area served	Utah
Products	Military defense, training, internment camp (historical)
Number of employees	Not specified

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Fort Douglas, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 7 August 2025

Fort Douglas—initially known as Camp Douglas—was founded in October 1862 amid the American Civil War as a military installation located roughly three miles east of Salt Lake City, Utah. Its chief purpose was to safeguard the overland mail service and telegraph infrastructure along the Central Overland Route. The fort ceased operations officially in 1991 following decisions made under BRAC. At its height, the facility spanned 10,525 acres; currently, the military presence is limited to 58 acres, designated as the Stephen A. Douglas Armed Forces Reserve Center, which is slated for complete shutdown by 2026. Subsequently, this land will be transferred to the University of Utah for future development.

The majority of Fort Douglas’s original grounds have been handed over to the University of Utah, which actively preserves and adapts many historic structures. The Fort Douglas Military Museum is housed within two former barracks buildings. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975, Fort Douglas holds considerable importance due to its involvement in the Civil War and its influence on Utah’s settlement.

Founding

During the Civil War period, Colonel Patrick Edward Connor was assigned the task of reestablishing a military foothold in the Utah Territory after Federal forces had been redeployed eastward. He chose a location east of Salt Lake City, founding Camp Douglas on October 26, 1862. The camp was named in honor of Senator Stephen A. Douglas and served as the headquarters for the District of Utah within the Department of the Pacific, staffed primarily by Union volunteers from California and Nevada.

Arrival of Regular Army, 1866–1874

Following the Civil War, from 1866 through 1898, Fort Douglas was incorporated into the Department of the Platte. Its strategic value increased with the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah, on May 10, 1869, which connected the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads.

1878–1902 Developments

With support from U.S. Senator Thomas Kearns, Camp Douglas was elevated to regimental status and renamed "Fort Douglas."

World War I Role

During World War I, Fort Douglas functioned as an internment facility for German Americans and prisoners of war from the Imperial German Navy. Among those detained were crew members from the SMS Cormoran, who had been interned after being denied coal supplies at Guam in 1914 and were held at Fort Douglas following America’s entry into the conflict in 1917.

Interwar Years

In 1922, Fort Douglas became home to the 38th Infantry Regiment, which remained stationed there until August 1940.

World War II Period

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Fort Douglas was converted into an Army Air Field alongside Salt Lake City International Airport. It hosted the 7th Bombardment Group, which operated B-17 Flying Fortress bombers. Meanwhile, Army ground forces assumed control of the fort when concerns about a potential Japanese attack on the mainland led to relocating the Ninth Service Command Headquarters from Utah to the Presidio of San Francisco.

Later Years, 1945–1991

After World War II, much of Fort Douglas’s land was transferred to the neighboring University of Utah, though Army Reserve activities continued for several decades. Notably, Maj. Gen. Michael B. Kauffman played a key role in extending operations beyond an initially planned closure in the 1970s. He also founded the Fort Douglas Military Museum, which evolved into a leading military museum showcasing exhibits from all branches of the Armed Services.

Between 1962 and 1973, Fort Douglas housed the Deseret Test Center (in Buildings 103 and 105), responsible for assessing chemical and biological weapons; however, no actual testing took place on site.

The fort officially shut down on October 26, 1991. Control over the museum remained with the Utah National Guard, while segments not transferred to the university were retained by the 96th ARCOM.

Armed Forces Reserve Center

A southwestern segment of the original fort continues to operate as the Stephen A. Douglas Armed Forces Reserve Center, serving the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR). Spanning 51 acres, this site includes the historic Soldier's Circle and several buildings that accommodate headquarters personnel for two Army Reserve commands, along with members from various Army, Navy, and Marine Reserve units.

In 2023, the Utah State Legislature approved $100 million through Senate Bill 2 to facilitate the relocation of the reserve center from Fort Douglas to a new location near the Utah National Guard’s Camp Williams in Bluffdale. This funding is designated for land acquisition, architectural design, and construction at the new facility. A groundbreaking event took place in August 2024, with project completion anticipated by 2026. Following the move, ownership of the historic reserve property will be transferred to the university for future campus expansion.

Commands hosted

As of 2023, the reserve center accommodates these commands:

University of Utah Campus

In 1991, the University of Utah purchased a substantial portion of the remaining fort grounds. During Salt Lake City’s 2002 Winter Olympics, the university campus served as a venue for events, and in collaboration with the Olympic Organizing Committee, developed an Olympic Village on former fort land to house athletes. This facility now functions as student residential housing. Stilwell Field is utilized for event parking, while the Officers' Club has been repurposed as a conference facility. Several officers' quarters have been adapted to house university departments such as the American Indian Resource Center.

In 2015, controversy emerged when construction aimed at upgrading the university’s electrical infrastructure resulted in the removal and disposal of buried historic artifacts linked to the fort.

Cemetery

Founded in 1862 approximately one mile south of the parade grounds, the cemetery was improved in 1864 with a monument honoring soldiers who perished during the Bear River Massacre. This memorial is enclosed by a red sandstone wall and steel gate. In 1865, a monument for Utah Governor James D. Doty was added. The cemetery later expanded to include graves from Fort Cameron and a designated section for German POWs who died during World War II.

In 2019, control of Fort Douglas Cemetery was transferred from the US Army to the National Cemetery Administration. The cemetery remains maintained but is closed to new burials. Burial records can be accessed through the Utah History Research Center database. The site suffered damage during a severe windstorm in Utah in 2020 when hurricane-force gusts caused trees to fall and damaged headstones and other historic elements.

Sources

Madsen, Brigham D. The Shoshoni Frontier and the Bear River Massacre (University of Utah Press, 1985)
Hibbard, Charles G. Fort Douglas, Utah: A Frontier Fort (Vestige Press, 1999)

External links

Historic Fort Douglas, University of Utah (archived)
Fort Douglas: Building History, Utah Division of State History and Fort Douglas Military Museum
Fort Douglas Military Museum Association (archived)