But the military camp was also in place to ensure that the Mormon settlers, who were experiencing some unrest over the issue of polygamy, remained firmly in the Union.

Connor named the camp after Illinois Sen. Stephen A. Douglas, a friend of the West, who had lost a presidential bid against Abraham Lincoln in 1860. Connor chose the site for his camp well, on 10,525 acres on a plateau three miles east of Salt Lake City, where his troops could keep an eye on the community of "traitors, murderers and fanatics" that Connor imagined the Mormons to be.

The feeling was mutual. When he first heard about the fort, Brigham Young ordered the south gate of Temple Square sealed. In 1865, when it was rumored that Young might be taken prisoner by the Army and prosecuted for practicing polygamy, a telescope was mounted atop the Beehive House to keep watch on activities at the fort.

Troops from Fort Douglas only participated in one major Indian action, the Battle of Bear River, which took place on the Utah-Idaho border in 1863. Connor was promoted to brigadier general following that expedition. The resulting cannon fire to celebrate the event prompted residents in Salt Lake City, who thought the Army was attacking, to grab their weapons and prepare for battle.

Gradually relations between the fort and Mormons softened, and over the years Fort Douglas and the soldiers stationed there have had a social and economic impact in Utah that is still felt today.

Camp Douglas became increasingly important in the Western military establishment as a supply center for the fast moving cavalry during the 1870s, and in 1878 it became Fort Douglas.

During the two World Wars, the post served as a mobilization and training garrison, as well as a prisoner-of-war camp, housing 300 German POWs during World War I and 1,500 of the same during World War II.

Thousands of GIs were inducted into the army through the post's main gates, and the reception center was kept busy processing newcomers and assigning them to basic training sites.

When World War II ended, Fort Douglas was the last stop on the road home for thousands of soldiers who were discharged there. More than 56,000 GIs were separated from the Army at Fort Douglas in an eight-month period.

In the years since World War II, Fort Douglas has served as headquarters for Reserve and National Guard units and as a support detachment for military activities in the area. The historic area of Fort Douglas was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970.

Over the years, the original 10,525-acre site has been parceled out. Mount Olivet Cemetery, University of Utah, Shriners Hospital for Children, Veterans Medical Center and the U.'s Research Park are just a few of the properties that were granted or sold that were originally part of Fort Douglas. The military now occupies 58 acres.

E-mail: marchaddock@utwire.com