Many on this list probably disagree, but nativity has never struck me as
the most pertinent criterion in assessing these issues. Poe was born in
Massachusetts, but he spent much of his childhood in Richmond and
returned to the city to edit for a time the Southern Literary Messenger.
Virginia clearly has as much right to claim him as any other state and
more in my opinion than it does, say, Zachary Taylor, who took his first
breath here but grew up in Kentucky and later lived in Louisiana, or
Wilson, who only spent about five or so years in Virginia. The more
relevant question for this discussion might be, not where someone was
born, but how he or she is/was remembered?

Bland Whitley
LVA 


Unfortunately for us Virginians, Edgar Allan Poe is not a native to our
state.  Worth considering perhaps for noteworthy 19th century Virginians
might be the Virginia Presidents from that era including Jefferson,
Madison, Monroe, Harrison, Tyler, and Taylor.  They, along with George
Washington (18th) and Woodrow Wilson (20th) combine to make Virginia the
Mother of Presidents.  Gov. Mark Warner referred to this recently on
C-SPAN when he said it is about time to add another Virginian to that
list.  He said he knows that because Sen. George Allen told him so!  ATW

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