Williams River in Pocahontas County,

 

The Williams River in Pocahontas County, West Virginia is most likely named after a landowner named Williams. There is no definitive record of who this person was, but there are a few possibilities.

One possibility is that the river was named after William Ewing, a Revolutionary War veteran who lived near Buckeye in Pocahontas County. Ewing is supposed to have owned land on the river's headwaters.

Another possibility is that the river was named after William Williams, a merchant who lived in the area in the early 19th century. Williams owned a sawmill on the river, and he may have been the first person to use the name "Williams River" for the waterway.

It is also possible that the river was named after another William Williams, who was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates in the early 1800s. Williams represented Pocahontas County in the legislature, and he may have been involved in the early development of the area around the river.

Ultimately, the exact origin of the name "Williams River" is unknown. However, it is likely that the river was named after a landowner named Williams.