The family residence of Mr. .Stellmon, about one mile northeast from Nez Perce, is one of the happy and prosperous homes of the reservation country. His broad acres of well tilled land, which produce abundant harvests, have little appearance of the wilderness of the reservation when he came to this place to seek a home. His wisely be slowed industry has transformed the face of nature until it is one of the pleasant and valuable estates of the County.
John F. Stellmon was born in Greene County, Tennessee, on March 21, 1867 being the son of Henry and Elizabeth (Brooks) Stellmon, natives of North Carolina and Tennessee, respectively. The mother died in Arkansas but the father still lives on the home place there. When John was twelve, his parents took him to Benton County. Arkansas, and there he grew to manhood and finished his education.
On February 2, 1891, Mr. Stellmon married Miss Ellen, daughter of Stephen and Mary (White) Graham, natives of Washington County, Arkansas. In 1893 Mr. Stellmon migrated to Latah County, Idaho, and farmed one year near Genesee. In 1894 he came to the reservation near Lapwai and leased land, where he toiled until 1896, when he came to his present place and commenced the labors of making a home, which have culminated so successfully. He has a good house, barn, outbuildings, orchards, and so forth, while he raises abundant crops of the cereals and flax, also handling some stock. Mr. Stellmon had a very scanty allotment of worldly goods when he came to this place but he is now one of the prosperous men of the reservation country. Two children have been born to this worthy couple, Mamie E. and Normal B. Mrs. Stellmon’s mother died in Arkansas and her father is now living near Nez Perce. Mr. and Mrs. Stellmon had to endure many hardships in common with the other early settlers in this country and they have always manifested a wealth of courage and strength of character that have enabled them to outride the severest storm of adversity and have given them the sure confidence of the people and the good will of all.
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Source: An Illustrated History of Northern Idaho, Embracing Nez Perce, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone Counties, Western Historical Publishing Company, 1903