The first permanent settlers near St. Albans, called Coalsmouth, arrived in 1786 with the building of Ft. Tackett about 1788, which was actually about 2 miles below present St. Albans. After being burnt by the Shawnee Indians in 1790, the settlers moved upriver to Charleston (Ft. Lee). Before then, vast virgin timber forests, buffalo and Indians trails preceded the White man in this area. Thirty-one people lived there in 1790. In March of that year the Shawnee Indians attacked and captured two settlers and took them to Michigan. The two captives eventually escaped and returned to this area. Six months later the Shawnee attacked again and they killed Christopher Tackett and several children, kidnapped eight others and burned the fort. At least two were killed later by the Indians and the other taken to Huron and most managed to eventually escape back to the Kanawha Valley. Several hid from the attack and managed to escape to Ft. Lee, later Charleston. The first white child born in the Kanawha Valley, Jacob Tackett, was born here to Kizah Tackett Young. Daniel Boone wrote in 1791 “from Pt. Pleasant to Elk (Charleston), no inhabitance. He referred to this fort as Coal Fort.
http://www.stalbanshistory.com/History.html
