The city was founded in 1837 or 1838 when the Voortrekkers settled on the banks of the Schoonspruit (“Clear stream”), which flows through the town. Klerksdorp is the oldest European settlement north of the Vaal River, and thus of the former Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (Z.A.R), also known as the Transvaal Republic.
The most prominent of the first settlers was Hendrik Grobler who claimed a farm of about 160 km2, called it Elandsheuwel (“Hill of the Eland”). He gave plots of land and communal grazing rights on this farm to other Voortrekkers in return for their labour in building a dam and an irrigation canal. This collection of smallholdings was later given the name of Klerksdorp in honour of the first landdrost (magistrate) of the area, Jacob de Clercq.