Fort Douglas records
Collection
Identifier: MS 0518
Scope and Contents
The Fort Douglas records (1861-1954) contain two histories of the fort as well as military orders and maps.
Dates
- 1861-1954
Conditions Governing Access
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
Conditions Governing Use
The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.
Biographical / Historical
Fort Douglas began during the second year of the Civil War. Originally ordered to set up a military base at Camp Floyd in Utah County, Colonel Patrick Connor decided to locate his men on the east side of Salt Lake City on a plateau. Calling the new base Camp Douglas (after the late 1860 Presidential canidate Stephen A. Douglas), Connor's orders had been to simply defend the transcontinental telegraph line and mail routes. Connor also engaged in other pursuits, including the founding of the first mining organizations in Utah. In 1863, troops from Camp Douglas attacked a Shoshone camp at Bear River, Idaho. The "Battle of Bear River" gave Connor a name for being an able soldier, although the battle was later found to be a massacre. After being promoted to general, Connor also fought the Arapaho Indians in Wyoming. In 1876, the base was made permanent and re-named Fort Douglas. At this time many parts of the fort were rebuilt. Several African-American troops were located at the fort and were among those which fought in the Spanish-American War. During the World Wars, Fort Douglas became an important military center. In the First World War, the fort housed German Prisoners of War (who were known for their escape attempts). In the Second World War, the Ninth Army Corps headquarters was relocated to Fort Douglas from San Francisco (due to fears of a Japanese attack on the West Coast). The fort continued operation through the Cold War, but as the Soviet Union dissolved and the United States cut back on military spending, Fort Douglas was given the axe. Part of the fort was turned over to the University of Utah while the other part became the smaller Stephen A. Douglas Armed Forces Reserve Center. The University of Utah restored many of the buildings of Fort Douglas for University use and some of the land has been used to build new residence halls. The University section of Fort Douglas became the homes of many athletes during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Extent
2.5 Linear Feet (1 box, 1 oversize box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Fort Douglas records (1861-1954) contain two histories of the fort as well as maps and military orders. Fort Douglas (1862-1991) was one of the US Army's intermountain bases located in Salt Lake City.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Some materials are a gift of S. George Ellsworth in 1973.
Separated Materials
See also the Fort Douglas photograph collection (P0858) in the Multimedia Division of Special Collections.
Processing Information
Processed by Lora Crouch and Debra Penman in 1988.
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- Title
- Inventory of the Fort Douglas records
- Author
- Finding aid preapred by Lora Crouch and Debra Penman
- Date
- © 1988 (last modified: 2018)
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections Repository
Contact:
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City Utah 84112 United States
801-581-8863
special@library.utah.edu
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City Utah 84112 United States
801-581-8863
special@library.utah.edu