Established in 1862 east of Salt Lake City, Utah, Fort Douglas was initially known as Camp Douglas. It was built primarily to protect the overland mail route and telegraph lines in the area. The renaming only happened in 1878.

Officially closed in 1991, Fort Douglas has been through and operated for every war in the past century or so. It served as a headquarters for the District of Utah during the Civil War, as an internment camp for Germans who are residing in the US, as well as German prisoners of war in the First World War, and as an Army Air Field and Army Base in WWII.

Today, Fort Douglas is under the care of the University of Utah, who runs the Fort Douglas Military Museum.