For more than 120 years, the University of Utah’s future has been tied to the federal land around it—especially the U.S. Army’s Fort Douglas.

Almost since its founding in the foothills above the Mormon settlement of Salt Lake City, the university has historically grown by absorbing land owned or controlled by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Army.

The last tract of land at Fort Douglas—50 remaining acres bounded by Mario Capecchi Drive to the west and Foothill Drive to the south—will be ceremonially deeded to the U when a new building at Camp Williams opens in 2026. A ground-breaking Aug. 19 marked the extraordinary effort to preserve the Army functions that have been based at the fort since 1862.

“The 50 acres where Fort Douglas currently sits is an incredibly valuable asset,” said U President Taylor Randall. “The transfer allows us to dream big about our campus and how we participate in the future of education in the state and in the development of Utah’s economy. We do not underestimate at all, and do not under-appreciate, the impact this land will have.”

When the Third Regiment of the California Volunteers arrived in Utah in 1862, Mormon leaders hoped they would locate their camp south and west of Salt Lake City. But Col. Patrick Edward Connor had other ideas. He wanted it close to the California Trail (Emigration Canyon), and near water (Red Butte Creek), timber, and stone with which to build his fort.

Stories about one of the fort’s cannons—just a few miles away from Temple Square—being aimed at the Lion House downtown are likely apocryphal, said Fred Esplin, longtime vice president for University Development and unofficial university historian, but they speak to the uneasy relationship between the soldiers and the Latter-day Saints.

“Fort Douglas was established during a time when our nation was navigating the challenges of a divided country and a greatly expanding West,” said Jason Perry, vice president for government relations at the U. “One of the fort’s original missions was to keep a watchful eye on Brigham Young and the pioneers in Salt Lake City. Over the years, that watchful eye has shifted its focus to a broader mission to keep America safe.”

While Fort Douglas made residents of Salt Lake City uncomfortable at the time, Connor’s decision to place his camp in the foothills east of the city proved to be a godsend to the University of Utah, as it protected more than 10,500 acres from development until early in the 20th century. The original area reserved for the U.S. Army stretched from 1300 East to the mouth of Emigration Canyon, and from 900 South to 6th Avenue in the north.

The U received its first 60 acres of Fort Douglas land in 1898 at the end of the Spanish-American War—two years after Utah became a state. Established nearly 50 years earlier as the University of Deseret, the institution did not have a permanent home until this acquisition. In 1900, the first classes were taught at the new site. In 1962, land for the University of Utah Medical Center—now the site of the U of U Health Hospital, Spencer Fox Eccles Medical School, College of Nursing and College of Pharmacy was granted to the U. Six years later, 320 acres for Red Butte Garden and Arboretum and Research Park became university (and state) property. Leading up to the Winter Games in 2002, the historic Officers Circle was transferred to the University of Utah and became part of the Olympic Village—now student housing.

Over the past 126 years, the university has been one of many institutions to benefit from transfers and sales of former fort land. In addition to transfers to the University of Utah, This is the Place State Park, Shriner’s Hospital, the Veterans Administration Hospitals and Offices, Hogle Zoo, the LDS Institute of Religion, student housing, Mount Olivet Cemetery, Utah National Guard Armory (on Guardsman Way), the Carmen B. Pingree Autism Center of Learning and the Rowland Hall School all have been built on former Fort Douglas land.

Throughout its history, Fort Douglas has been a training ground for Utah troops—from the Spanish-American War to both World Wars.

“The fort was not just a place of preparation, it was a place of transformation where ordinary citizens became extraordinary soldiers ready to serve their nation at a time of need,” said Utah National Guard Maj. Gen. Daniel Boyack. “The relationship between Fort Douglas and the Utah National Guard has been characterized by mutual support and collaboration throughout the years.”

As the needs of the U.S. military changed, Camp Williams became a more active training ground for the Utah National Guard. In 1988, the U.S. Defense Secretary’s Commission on Base Realignment and Closure recommended the closure of the foothills-based fort, and in 1991, it was officially closed pursuant to BRAC action. With that threat looming, Utah Senators Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch played critical roles in paving the way for the University of Utah to receive the remaining Fort Douglas land when the Army declared it surplus. Successive members of Utah’s congressional delegation picked up the effort.

Prior to this most recent transfer, a total of 1,534 acres have been transferred to the University of Utah over the past 126 years, including:

• Land now used for Athletics facilities
• The Natural History Museum of Utah
• Red Butte Garden
• Research Park
• University of Utah teaching and research buildings
• U of U Health Hospitals and Clinics
• Student housing along historic Fort Douglas Circle
• 469 acres in a Heritage Preserve

“The State of Utah and the University of Utah are fortunate indeed to have benefited for over a century from this remarkable land bank originally created by Col. Connor in 1862,” Esplin said. “I’m sure neither Col.  Connor nor Brigham Young could have imagined what a remarkable center for teaching and research would emerge from land originally used for rifle and artillery ranges.”

Once the last transfer is complete, Fort Douglas land will be used in the school’s plans to create more “college town magic” through projects including research and lab space for the health sciences, perhaps additional student housing and recreational spaces.

In 1975, the fort was declared a National Historic Landmark for its role in the Civil War and the settlement of Utah. A 1991 Defense Reauthorization Act called for the Army to direct a significant portion of land to the university, but also charged the institution with maintaining the legacy of the fort’s historic chapel, parade field, cemetery, museum and Officer Circle. The federal government will continue to maintain the fort’s cemetery. The National Guard will manage the museum.

“Over the past 30 years, the university has been a model neighbor, partner and steward of Fort Douglas’ legacy,” said Stephen Sullivan, chief financial officer and director for Resources, Installations and Materiel. “I’m confident the university will continue to maintain and grow Fort Douglas’ legacy.”

Special thanks to Fred Esplin for the historical knowledge he contributed to this piece.