Some History About St. Marys, WV
There is a fair amount of history in St. Marys. The claim to fame of many places out East is that "George Washington slept here". Well, he did come down the Ohio River in 1770 and camp across on the Ohio side, but St. Marys wasn't here then. The region was inhabited by Native Americans. When settlements were first made along the Ohio River nearly every man was a genuine Woodsman, meaning he hunted game and Indians. To newcomers unpracticed in the art, they became teachers. The necessities of the times soon developed the pupil into a master. The vigilance of the rangers employed as a safeguard to the pioneer settler and the skill of the settler in the use of the rifle soon became known to the wily Indians, which deterred them from committing many a depredation that they longed to indulge in. Although revenge was sweet for the Indians and their cruel natures enjoyed the scenes of savage butchery, they would seldom risk their lives deliberately unless inspired by some recent act of the whites. It is estimated that, in the seven years previous to the war of 1791, the Indians killed and took prisoners fifteen hundred persons, and stole two thousand horses, besides property to the amount of $50,000 in the Ohio Valley. The declared object of the party which killed Captain Carpenter, on Carpenters Run, and afterwards the family of Mr. Armstrong, below the mouth of the Little Kanawha, on the Ohio River, was plunder.

There were many exciting incidents occurred along Middle Island creek during the progress of the war that was waged with the Indians. Its waters ran through a section of country highly prized by the savages when they occupied the territory. In August, 1789 five Indians, on their way to the settlements on the waters of the Monongahela, met with two men of Middle Island creek and killed them. Taking their horses, they continued on their route until they came to the house of William Johnson. They took Mrs. Johnson and her children prisoners, plundered the house, killed part of the stock, and taking with them one of Johnson's horses, returned towards the Ohio River. At the time the Indians were at the house, Johnson had gone to a lick not far off and, upon his return in the morning, seeing what had been done, and searching until he had found the trail of the savages and their prisoners, he ran to Clarksburg for assistance. A company of men returned with him immediately to where he had discovered the trail and found four of the children lying dead in the woods. The savages had tomakawked and scalped them and, placing their heads close together, turned their bodies and feet straight out, so as to represent a cross. The fate of Mrs. Johnson is unknown.