Mormons were the first permanent settlers to arrive in Utah, founding Salt Lake City in 1847. Attracted by the utter lack of other people, this religious group intended to found a nation of their own. However, the U.S. Federal Government denied their repeated petitions for independence. In the uneasy years leading up to the American Civil War, the government began fearing that the Mormons would side with the Confederate States - and fight against the Northern states - in order to be granted independence. After the war finally broke out, President Lincoln sent soldiers to Utah to monitor the activities of the Mormons. This fort was constructed by those soldiers in 1862, and served as a home to the US Army troops until 1991. The museum today illustrates Fort Douglas' long and rich history as a military center.