The village was created in the early nineteenth century as a settlement in the peat colonies.

In 2004 the bond with Italy was strengthened once again when pastor Jaring de Wolff dedicated a memorial mass to Italian cyclist Marco Pantani who died in that year.

A mistake was made at the time and, the name Ter Apelkanaal was replaced by Zandberg during the Giro.

Zandberg had a stopping point between 1924 and 1935 that lay on the Stadskanaal to Ter Apel railway line.

According to information from the municipality of Borger-Odoorn, the province of Zandberg in Drenthe counted 52 inhabitants on 1 January 2007 (24 men and 28 women).