Williamson Island is a bar

Shoal

Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...

 island

Island

An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...

 on the Ohio River

Ohio River

The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...

 in Tyler County, West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

. It lies to the southwest of Paden City

Paden City, West Virginia

Paden City is a city in Tyler and Wetzel Counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. The population was 2,860 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Paden City is located at ....

 with Witten Towhead

Witten Towhead

Witten Towhead is a bar island or "towhead" on the Ohio River in Tyler County, West Virginia. It is located to the southwest of Paden City. Witten Towhead is a part of the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge....

 (once part of Williamson Island) directly downstream. Along with Witten Towhead, Williamson Island is a part of the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge

Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge

The Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in non-contiguous sites consisting of islands along of the Ohio River, primarily in the U.S. state of West Virginia. There are also a couple of islands upstream in Beaver County, Pennsylvania and a couple downstream...

.

In 1817, John Buck settled in Tyler County and executed a lease on Williamson Island. This is the first recorded entry of the Buck surname in Tyler County. The mountain to its east, Buck Knob, takes its name from the island's Buck family.