William W. (William Whitwell) Dewhurst

William W. Dewhurst, fully identified in library and public-domain records as William Whitwell Dewhurst, was born in 1850. He is best known for The History of Saint Augustine, Florida, first published in 1881 by G. P. Putnam's Sons.

That book traces the early Spanish and French efforts in Florida and the development of Saint Augustine, and it remains the work most closely associated with his name in major catalog and digitized-book records. Project Gutenberg also lists his lifespan as 1850–1927, which suggests he lived into the early 20th century.

Very little biographical detail appears to be widely preserved online beyond his name, dates, and authorship of this history. Even so, his surviving book has given him a lasting place in Florida historical writing, especially for readers interested in Saint Augustine’s colonial past.