163 years after its establishment in 1862, Fort Douglas has been officially transferred over to the University of Utah on Aug. 8. The final 50 acres, which included historic buildings such as horse stables, parade grounds and campus’s oldest building, Building 655, now fall under university control.
Fort Douglas was officially closed in 1991, but left 50 acres for the Army Reserve. Concerned over modernization and preparedness, in 2023 the Utah Legislature would allocate over $100 million for a new Army Reserves headquarters, Camp Williams, in Bluffdale, Utah. As a result, the final 50 acres that remained were to be given to the university.
Reflections and remarks
As the sun began to creep above the Red Butte hills, and the 88th Readiness Division’s 484th Army Band and the Utah National Guard’s 23rd Army Band performed the National Anthem, the posting of the colors was completed. Chaplin Daniel Haas, from the 807th Theater Medical Command, began the ceremony with a prayer.
Members of the public and the U.S. Army Reserve took their seats. A brief synopsis was given on the rich history of Fort Douglas, which has existed through the Civil War, World War I, World War II, various conflicts during the 20th century and the 2002 creation of the Olympic Village…