Oosterhesselen

Prehistoric finds in Gees and Oosterhesselen show that parts of the sandy area were worked before our era, albeit in a very primitive way. The oldest found remains of habitation date back more than 10,000 years.

The first written document mentioning Oosterhesselen (as Oesterhelsel) and Gees dates from 1207. Zwinderen is first mentioned in a document in 1217. The havezathe 'De Klencke' is also of very old date, although the current building dates from the eighteenth century. In 1219, the havezathe was inhabited by Hermanus Clincke. 

The church of Oosterhesselen dates back to the fourteenth century. The church and the monumental tower remaining from the Middle Ages are now separated. It seems that they were originally connected.

The villages in the peat area are - as mentioned above - of much younger date. Between 1850 and 1860, the Hoogeveensche Vaart was extended towards Emmen. This marked the beginning of peat extraction. Numerous side canals and roads were dug. Peat workers and small farmers settled along these neighborhoods and canals. From these settlements, a number of related settlements developed from west to east.

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