Douglas A. Birk was born on April 26, 1943, in Evanston, Illinois. His parents were Delbert and Esther Birk. In 1950 the Birk family relocated to Pine River, Minnesota, to manage the Camp-Show-Me resort on the bank of Norway Lake. Doug showed an interest in local history and archaeology at a young age including Native American mounds, remains from the early days of Minnesota’s logging era, and the travel routes used by fur traders and early explorers, topics which would hold his professional interest throughout his career.
Birk enrolled at Brainerd Junior College in 1961 then transferred to the University of Minnesota the following year. There Birk revived his interest in archaeology under the mentorship of Professor Elden Johnson and graduated with a B.A. in Anthropology in 1966. Shortly after graduation Birk was drafted and spent the next four years in Army Intelligence, including 24 months in Vietnam. At the end of his enlistment Birk reconnected with Johnson to seek employment as an archaeologist and secured a position as a staff archaeologist with the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS) in 1970.
Birk worked at this position for the next eleven years, gaining experience at archaeological projects statewide. During his time with the MHS Birk began to specialize in the archaeology of the fur trade and Minnesota’s French and British colonial period, developing a reputation for meticulous historical research. An accomplished diver, Birk also pioneered new methods for underwater photography and excavation. He also involved himself in the development of the profession in Minnesota, serving as Secretary-Treasurer of the Council for Minnesota Archaeology (CMA) from 1973 to 1975. He would go on to hold the Vice-Presidency of this organization from 1982 to 1984.
Birk enrolled in the Anthropology M.A. program at the University of Minnesota in 1977 but dropped out the following year. He would return to the same program in 1995 and received his degree after a successful thesis defense in 1999.
Budget cuts in 1981 eliminated Birk’s position and he switched to independent contract work under the name of Northland Archaeological Services. Birk continued to accept Northland contracts until 1987, but in 1982 his focus shifted to a new venture he formed with a small group of colleagues: a nonprofit organization for archaeological contract work, outreach, and education called the Institute for Minnesota Archaeology (IMA).
Birk’s main interest in founding the IMA was to gain institutional support for a project area that would dominate the rest of his career: a tract of land north of Little Falls containing the site of an 18th-century fur trading fort. In 1982 the newly formed IMA conducted a short survey at the site which received the site number 21MO20. The Minnesota Parks Foundation purchased the surrounding property the following year, ensuring its preservation.
The IMA expanded over the following years and undertook projects throughout Minnesota. Birk gained publicity for the organization by locating the site of Zebulon Pike’s 1805 wintering fort south of Little Falls in 1984, but his attention repeatedly returned to the area surrounding 21MO20. In 1987 the IMA purchased the land from Minnesota Parks and began managing it as the Little Elk Heritage Preserve (LEHP). Under Birk’s direction the LEHP was conceived as a Public Archaeology space combining active excavations with educational programs and tourist activities.
Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s Birk pursued development of the LEHP in parallel with multiple research projects. Continuing research areas included the French colonial period; portage routes; and fur trade era artifacts and people, especially the Northwest Company trader John Sayer. New research projects included a history of the town of Little Falls, a study of Protestant missions in Minnesota, and the historic communities of Old Crow Wing and Chengwatana.
This period of great productivity for Birk ended in 2002 when a sudden financial crisis forced the IMA into bankruptcy. In the ensuing rush to preserve the IMA’s collections and records Birk acquired most of the artifacts and administrative records relating to 21MO20 and the LEHP, adding to his personal research collection. The LEHP returned to state ownership in 2003, its archaeological resources protected by a preservation covenant.
Following the end of the IMA, Birk returned to contract work for most of his income including projects for Minnesota Power and the Grand Portage National Monument. He also served on the State Review Board for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) from 2000 to at least 2009 and coordinated with multiple local historical societies, including Heritage Group North’s successful attempt to preserve the Pine River Depot.
In his later years Birk focused on writing and publishing the results of decades of research in his areas of expertise. Following his unexpected death on March 8, 2017, Birk left manuscripts in various stages of completion on northern Minnesota railroads, Old Crow Wing, John Sayer, and the Protestant mission movement, among others. At the time of his death Birk lived in Pine River, Minnesota, with his life partner Lynda Weiss. Birk had no children and was survived by Weiss and his brother, Delbert Birk.
