The town of Stellarton can be found in the East River Valley, about 6 miles from the mouth of the East River in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. Originally Stellarton was named Albion Mines by the General Mining Association in 1827. However, at a public meeting in 1870 the name was officially changed to Stellarton by a vote of 22 to nine. Stellarton was named after the high oil content called Stella Coal which can be found in abundance around the area.

The founders of Stellarton, like those of most of the towns in Pictou County, were primarily from the ship Hector which had landed in Pictou in 1774 from Scotland. In 1775, five of these Hector families took up grants of land on the East River, in what would eventually become Stellarton. Besides being an area that was relatively easy to cultivate and filled with fertile land, the Stellarton area had one other major resource which became the cause of Stellarton’s original growth: coal. Coal was first discovered there in 1798 but the first commercial license to dig coal was not issued until 1807 to John Mackay. Shortly after this the General Mining Association began its own operation in the area. The population of what was then known as Albion Mines grew as more workers were recruited into the area. In 1828, about 170 people lived in the town, the majority of whom were coal miners and their families.

With the continued growth of the mines, new businesses soon began to appear. Fraser & Ross Flour and Feed Mill, Stellarton’s Soap Factory, Stellarton Cigar Factory, The Albion Machine Company and the Stellarton Brick and Tile Co. were only some of the enterprises that helped Stellarton grow throughout the years. Probably the most famous of all Stellarton Companies is Sobey’s which began its move to a multi-billion dollar company in 1921 when Dr. Frank Sobey went to work on his father's grocery and meat store.

Stellarton’s central location in the East River Valley ideally situated it as the rail centre for Pictou County. One of the earliest railways in North America was built by the General Mining Association between Stellarton and the coal loading ground below New Glasgow. Several "firsts" have been attributed to this railway track: it was the first heavy duty railway in North America (lasting until 1961), the first to utilize a railway switch, and the first to use standard gauge track. The two original locomotives are still in existence and can be found in museums throughout the area.

1889 saw the incorporation of Stellarton after a long and exciting debate by the residents. 1889 also saw the formation of Stellarton’s first baseball club; baseball was one of the most valued of sports in the Stellarton during this period although hockey was a close second.