Byrd Spilman Dewey

Byrd "Birdie" Spilman Dewey (née Julia Bird Spilman; February 16, 1856 – April 1, 1942) was an American author, land investor, and co-developer of the Town of Boynton. She lived in Florida from 1881 until her death in 1942. Her best known work, Bruno, told the Dewey's story of early pioneering days in central Florida. The book remained in print for over twenty years, classified as juvenile literature – today it better fits the classification of young adult literature.

Dewey was an important figure in pioneer South Florida history, adding philanthropy, and environmental conservation to her notable endeavors with her work in the Florida Audubon Society. In 2013 and 2017, she was a finalist for the Florida Women's Hall of Fame.

Early life

Byrd Spilman Dewey was born Julia Bird Spilman in Covington, Kentucky, to Jonathan Edwards Spilman and Eliza Sarah Taylor. Her maternal great-grandfather was Colonel Richard Taylor, father of President Zachary Taylor. Mrs. Dewey's father was an attorney, composer and Presbyterian minister. He wrote the 19th-century song "Flow Gently Sweet Afton". Her mother died on August 10, 1866, as the result of a fire aboard the steamboat Bostona No. 3 in Maysville, Kentucky.

She attended school in Kentucky including Maysville College and the Sayre Institute (Sayre School) where she studied literature, music, art, and language skills. In 1877 she moved with her family to Salem, Illinois, to her father's next pastorate. It was there that she met Frederick Sidney Dewey; they were married on September 25, 1877. Fred was a distant cousin of Admiral George Dewey, and also of Melvil Dewey, the inventor of the Dewey Decimal System.