DeWitt Webb (December 19, 1840 Clinton, Oneida County, New York – April 12, 1917

St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afr ...

, Florida) was a physician, politician, and amateur naturalist. He was the founder, and for 34 years President, of the St. Augustine Historical Society and Institute of Science.

Life

Webb practiced medicine in

Salt Point, New York Salt Point is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in the Town of Pleasant Valley, Dutchess County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 202. It lies northeast of Poughkeepsie following New York R ...

. He was a member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assemb ...

(Dutchess Co., 2nd D.) in

1876 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Reichsbank opens in Berlin. ** The Bass Brewery Red Triangle becomes the world's first registered trademark symbol. * February 2 – The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs is ...

and

1877 Events January–March * January 1 – Queen Victoria is proclaimed ''Empress of India'' by the ''Royal Titles Act 1876'', introduced by Benjamin Disraeli, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom . * January 8 – Great ...

. Webb moved to St. Augustine in 1880. He was a member of the St. Augustine Free Public Library Association. Professionally, Webb was a practicing doctor at

Flagler Hospital Flagler Hospital, based in unincorporated St. Johns County, Florida (with a St. Augustine address), is a not-for-profit facility established in 1889. The organization offers "Centers of Excellence" in bariatrics, heart, cancer, maternity, orthoped ...

and was head doctor at the State School for the Deaf and Blind. He was also the Acting Assistant Surgeon and Medical Officer at

Fort Marion The Castillo de San Marcos ( Spanish for "St. Mark's Castle") is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States; it is located on the western shore of Matanzas Bay in the city of St. Augustine, Florida. It was designed by the Spanish ...

at the time when Native Americans lived there during the 1880s. Webb was a member of the Florida State Legislature and Mayor of

in 1911 and 1912. Webb is probably best known for his involvement in the documenting of the

St. Augustine Monster The St. Augustine Monster is the name given to a large carcass, originally postulated to be the remains of a gigantic octopus, that washed ashore on the United States coast near St. Augustine, Florida, St. Augustine, Florida in 1896. It is someti ...

of 1896. He was the only person of an academic background to examine the specimen ''

in situ ''In situ'' (; often not italicized in English) is a Latin phrase that translates literally to "on site" or "in position." It can mean "locally", "on site", "on the premises", or "in place" to describe where an event takes place and is used in ...

''. The Webb Building at the Oldest House of the St. Augustine Historical Society and Institute of Science was built in 1923 in his memory.

References

* Ellis, R. 1994. ''Monsters of the Sea''. Robert Hale, London.

External links

Le "Monstre de Floride" de 1896: Cachalot ou Pieuvre Geante?
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, Dewitt 1840 births 1917 deaths Physicians from Florida Members of the Florida House of Representatives Mayors of places in Florida Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly People from Clinton, Oneida County, New York People from Dutchess County, New York People from St. Augustine, Florida 19th-century American politicians