Talk:Owen Coffin

Why an article at all?

This page previously redirected to a former Connecticut governor, Owen Vincent Coffin. The sailor Owen Coffin (who is arguably more notable, but in any event notable enough for a small article of his own) had no entry. Worse than that, references to the sailor in other articles were live-linking to the politician, which was somewhat confusing.

Although Coffin's story is already covered by more substantial articles, I was aware that "Who on earth is Owen Coffin?" has been a long-standing FAQ of people who know the song Nantucket Sleighride and have noted its dedication. People trying to find an answer to this on Wikipedia have until now found themselves looking at the biog for an obscure state governor and wondering WTF anyone would have dedicated a song to him. This, as much as anything, drove me to believe that the 'real' Owen Coffin needed at least a stubby article of his own, and a confirmation of the song link.

This is the first WP article that I have generated, and I really had to feel my way around the procedures, so please bear this in mind when you comment on its shortcomings! Thanks. Grubstreet (talk) 03:22, 7 March 2009 (UTC)