Fort Douglas (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Salt Lake City · Utah · American Civil War
History & Significance
Colonel Patrick Connor was ordered to reestablish military presence with volunteer soldiers, and Camp Douglas, named after Senator Stephen A. Douglas, was officially established on October 26, 1862. Connor's men were Union volunteers from both California and Nevada.
The post held dual strategic importance: protecting the overland mail route and telegraph lines while maintaining federal oversight of the territory. A cemetery was established in 1862; in 1864, soldiers improved it significantly and erected a monument dedicated to soldiers killed during the Bear River Massacre.
Troops participated in several punitive missions against American Indians including the Bear River Massacre in 1863. Following the Civil War, the fort was part of the Department of the Platte between 1866 and 1898; its importance increased when the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads joined at Promontory Summit on May 10, 1869, completing the Transcontinental Railroad.
Fort Douglas expanded quickly during World War I, training thousands of recruits and establishing a German prisoner of war camp. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Ninth Service Command headquarters was transferred from the Presidio in San Francisco to Fort Douglas in January 1942. The fort was officially closed in 1991; most of the fort's former property has been turned over to the University of Utah and many buildings are preserved.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Civil War-era garrison buildings and parade grounds on hillside overlooking Salt Lake City
- National Historic Landmark designating its role protecting mail and telegraph routes
- Museum exhibits documenting military and regional history from 1862 to present
- Original adobe and brick structures from 1860s frontier era
- Scenic location on University of Utah campus with panoramic valley views
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Douglas
- https://historytogo.utah.gov/fort-douglas/
- https://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/f/FORT_DOUGLAS.shtml
- https://www.slc.gov/district6/tour-district-6/fort-douglas-2/
- https://guard.utah.gov/fort-douglas/