THIS IS NOT A PAGE DenizensFrom frontier post to Olympic Village, Fort Douglas has seen 140 years of history BY JOE PROKOP unfold during its many iterations. Historic photos: Special Collections Dept., J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah ts soldiers have traveled the world to brave five wars. Its City were called east for active duty. This defensive vacuum left quarters and barracks run the gamut from gothic to colonial the overland stage and the telegraph lines vulnerable to attacks revival. It once became nearly a ghost town and now will by the indigenous peoples of the region. host athletes from around the world who will compete in When the call for volunteers to protect the Overland Trail Ithe 2002 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Games. came, Patrick Edward Conner answered it. In 1862, the 41- If one thing is more permanent than the sandstone build- year-old hero of the Mexican-American war led 800 volunteers ings at Fort Douglas, it’s the characteristic of change. from Sacramento across the desert to Utah Territory. “What we really know about history is that it’s constant Connor, an Irish Catholic, was suspicious of the LDS change,” says Thomas Carter, University of Utah professor of Church; he disagreed with their practice of polygamy and ques- architecture. “And if you look at the fort, you see that it’s tioned their loyalty to the Union. Though charged with the task always changed.” of protecting the Overland Trail, he felt a responsibility to keep At the onset of the Civil War in 1861, federal troops sta- in check what he perceived as the Mormon threat. tioned in the Utah Territory 45 miles southwest of Salt Lake Mormon leader Brigham Young had volunteered to protect 22 C ONTINUUM W INTER 2001 of the Fort the trails with his own forces to avoid the occupation of armed United States Army, which you must observe and which you federal troops. In a telegram to Utah’s representatives in have no right to violate.” Washington, Young suggested, “The militia of Utah are ready The troops, sufficiently warned, marched two-and-a-half and able, as they have ever been, to take care of all the Indians, miles to the slope between Emigration and Red Butte canyons— and willing to protect the mail line if called upon to do so.” not far from where Brigham Young, viewing the valley for the But Young’s plans failed. On October 26, 1862, Connor first time, had said, “This is the right place.” They activated marched his California Volunteers down Salt Lake City streets Camp Douglas, naming it after recently deceased Sen. Stephen lined with curious onlookers. They stopped before the mansion A. Douglas of Illinois, who had lost the presidential race to of the territorial governor, Stephen S. Harding, who advised Abraham Lincoln the previous year. Connor and his men, saying, “I believe the people you have Connor soon began to send parties out against the Native come amongst will not disturb you if you do not disturb them in Americans. His first target was the Northwestern Shoshoni tribe, their public life and in the honor and peace of their homes; and led by Chief Bear Hunter, which had reportedly been harassing to disturb them you must violate the strict discipline of the Mormon settlers for food. W INTER 2001 C ONTINUUM 23 In January 1863, Connor launched a 300-man assault on the organizations,” says Coleman. “There was a sense of wholeness winter camp of the Northwestern Shoshoni on the confluence of to their lives which obviously they had not experienced in some Battle Creek and Bear River, just north of Franklin, Idaho. This of the more isolated stations.” offensive would become known as the Bear River Massacre. The infantry helped break down stereotypes and earlier The California Volunteers suffered 22 deaths, while the opposition to its Fort Douglas assignment. Prior to the 24th Northwestern Shoshoni casualties numbered between 200 and Infantry’s arrival, the Salt Lake Tribune featured an editorial cit- 300. Boasting of their victory, the troops returned to Fort Douglas ing the presence of black soldiers as an “unfortunate change.” and prominently displayed the scalp of Bear Hunter. For his efforts But a year later the paper issued an apology, publicly regretting at Bear River, Connor was promoted to Brigadier General. its earlier prejudice. Seasoned troops from Fort Douglas went on to participate in the In 1898, the 24th Infantry was ordered to fight in Cuba Sioux War of 1876 and later in the battle of Wounded Knee. and the Philippines as part of the Spanish-American War. On the Connor established the Union Vedette, a newspaper that day of their departure, local residents—both black and white— gave voice to the so-called Gentile population of Salt Lake City lined the streets of South Temple to bid them farewell. and countered the LDS Church-owned Deseret News. The paper Members of the regiment participated in the charge up San became the first daily newspaper in the territory. Juan Hill with Theodore Roosevelt and his “Rough Riders.” The 1870s marked the transformation from Camp Douglas After the war, several members of the 24th Infantry returned to to Fort Douglas. Under the command of Col. John E. Smith, Salt Lake City, and some of their descendents are members of the camp was completely rebuilt. The fort’s signature Officers the community today, according to Coleman. Circle was built, with its ten red sandstone quarters forming an ellipse at the top of the parade ground. War Heroes, War Prisoners In 1896, the year Utah achieved statehood, the U.S. Army In May 1917, the Fort Douglas War Prison Barracks III were stationed the 24th Infantry Regiment at Fort Douglas. Nearly founded by the U.S. Army’s War Department. The 15-acre com- 600 African-American men, women, and children came to Salt pound became the primary internment camp west of the Mississippi Lake with the unit. The men were typically stationed in remote to house German prisoners of war captured in Guam and Hawaii. posts throughout the West. Sending the 24th Infantry unit to Outnumbering the naval prisoners were 784 interned Fort Douglas was a reward for past service, according to Ronald enemy aliens. Fear of sabotage prompted the U.S. Justice Coleman, U of U professor of history. Department to gather and imprison civilian males of German “The setting itself was within the midst of an existing and Austro-Hungarian descent, along with conscientious objec- African-American community which had churches and fraternal tors to the war. Fort 1862 1863 becomes Fort 1922 enlisted people Col. Patrick Battle of Bear River Douglas 38th Infantry and 2,000 civilians Douglas Edward Connor (Bear River assigned to fort help promote the establishes Camp Massacre) 1896 war effort Timeline Douglas with his African-American 1943 California 1874 24th Infantry Fort’s population 1947 1862-2002 Volunteers Camp Douglas stationed at fort peaks: 1,000 U President Olpin 24 C ONTINUUM W INTER 2001 “The practice was to house the prisoners of war in facilities buried in the Fort Douglas cemetery. that American soldiers would be housed in,” says Allan Kent Powell “For me, the cemetery really speaks to the experience of our BA’70 MA’72 PhD’76 of the Utah State Historical Society. “It human connections—even though war tears us apart, in the end was a priority to make sure that they had food at least equal to what we find enemy and friend buried there together,” says Powell. we were providing our own servicemen. There were chores to be “To realize that people buried there fought all over the world— done around the barracks, but essentially they were left to care for the Far East, the islands of the Pacific, the beaches at Normandy, themselves in the camp.” In 1918, German naval POWs were dis- in other wars—and ended up in that one spot in Utah makes it a charged from Fort Douglas, while enemy aliens were detained for very hallowed place for me.” two more years. Fort Douglas once again became a full-fledged training center A Village Made from Rubble in 1922 when the 38th Infantry Regiment was assigned to the post. The years following World War II were marked by a contraction Nicknamed the “Rock of the Marne” for its heroic defense of the in the size of Fort Douglas. U President A. Ray Olpin asked Marne River Valley in France during World War I, the 38th Infantry President Eisenhower for 298 acres of Fort Douglas land to sup- enjoyed the longest tenure of any other Fort Douglas regiment. port a campus bulging with veterans studying on the G.I. Bill. From 1922 to 1940, the era of the 38th was a time when well- Throughout the ’50s and ’60s, the military tradition was still known amenities of the post were added. The Fort Douglas golf strong at Fort Douglas—but time was running out. The fort’s course was built, along with the theater and proximity to Salt Lake City made it unfit for other new buildings. modern army purposes. It endured only as an New construction at the fort gave rise to Army reserve and recruitment center. The National Trust for hope in the midst of the Great Depression. “Things deteriorated quite a bit,” says Carter. Members of the Civilian Conservation Corps Historic Preservation honored “If an army post is on the periphery and people and the Works Progress Administration built aren’t really paying much attention to it, you’re the University of Utah in more officers’ quarters and other colonial going to get that kind of deterioration.” revival buildings.