DeWitt Webb
Encyclopedia
Dr. DeWitt Webb was a physician
, amateur naturalist
, and the founder of the St. Augustine Historical Society and Institute of Science. He was the president of the society for 34 years. Webb was a member of the Florida State Legislature and the mayor of the town of St. Augustine
, Florida
in 1911 and 1912.
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
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 at the time when Native American
s lived there during the 1880s.
Webb is probably best known for his involvement in the documenting of the St. Augustine Monster
of 1896. He was the only person of an academic background to examine the specimen in situ
.
The Webb Building at the Oldest House of the St. Augustine Historical Society and Institute of Science was built in 1923 in his memory.
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, amateur naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, and the founder of the St. Augustine Historical Society and Institute of Science. He was the president of the society for 34 years. Webb was a member of the Florida State Legislature and the mayor of the town of St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in 1911 and 1912.
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
Flagler Hospital, based in St. Augustine, Florida, is a not-for-profit facility established in 1889. The organization has received numerous accolades and offers "Centers of Excellence" in bariatrics, heart, cancer, maternity, orthopedics and sinus....
and was head doctor at the State School for the Deaf and Blind
Florida School for the Deaf and Blind
The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind is a state-supported boarding school for deaf and blind children established in 1885, in St. Augustine, Florida, USA.-History:...
. He was also the Acting Assistant Surgeon and Medical Officer at Fort Marion at the time when Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
s lived there during the 1880s.
St. Augustine Monster
The St. Augustine Monster is the name given to a large unidentified carcass, originally postulated to be the remains of a gigantic octopus, that washed ashore on the United States coast near St. Augustine, Florida, in 1896. It is sometimes referred to as the Florida Monster or St. Augustine Giant...
of 1896. He was the only person of an academic background to examine the specimen in situ
In situ
In situ is a Latin phrase which translated literally as 'In position'. It is used in many different contexts.-Aerospace:In the aerospace industry, equipment on board aircraft must be tested in situ, or in place, to confirm everything functions properly as a system. Individually, each piece may...
.
The Webb Building at the Oldest House of the St. Augustine Historical Society and Institute of Science was built in 1923 in his memory.