Cemetery Semiotics I

Fort Douglas Cemetery

In 1862, the Fort Douglas Camp in Salt Lake City established a cemetery to inter its soldiers. Burials began there in 1863. In 1864, the soldiers at the post significantly improved the cemetery. They erected a beautiful monument in the center dedicated to the memory of the men killed at Bear River. They also constructed a red sandstone wall around the cemetery, with a steel gate located at the north end. The following year, a smaller monument was added for Utah Governor James D. Doty following his death and burial in the cemetery. Later, the cemetery was expanded to accommodate a larger number of burials, not only from Fort Douglas but also from Fort Cameron following its closure. A special section of the cemetery was also added for the German prisoners of war who died here during World War I.

The Fort Douglas Cemetery continues to be an active federal military cemetery, beautifully maintained. This little photo essay is of the symbols that appear on many of the cemetery's tombstones and the stories that those symbols tell. The first three photographs will give you a sense of the cemetery's geography, while the rest tell a story through semiotics.