It was founded in 1647 by Adriaan Geerts Wildervanck as a peat colony in the Wildervankster bog.

Wildervank was a separate municipality until 1969, when the area was divided between Veendam and Stadskanaal.

Adriaan Geerts settled in Oude Pekela to study the exploitation of peat by the city of Groningen.

He bought the bog in 1647 in order to establish his own peat colony, but needed to procure a ƒ250,000 mortgage from an Amsterdam merchant.

[6] It would remain an independent municipality until 1969 when it merged into Veendam except for a small part which was added to Stadskanaal.