The Renton mines were opened by Union Collieries Company between 1916 and 1920. A 1921 Coal Age article stated, "The relations between the company and its employees have always been the best. The houses are of good design and are not crowded together, as in many of our mining towns. The well-kept lawns and thriving gardens exemplify the progress made in the Americanization of the foreigners of the mixed population of Renton. Every man is judged by his good qualities and not by his nationality; be he Pole, Hungarian or Italian, no discrimination is made." On July 19, 1920, an explosion in the Renton No. 3 mine killed nine men and wrecked the mine. In later years Renton was a Consolidation Coal operation.
In 1985 Consol sold the Renton mine to Villa Coal Company. Villa abandoned the mine in June 1987 and subsequently filed for bankruptcy. After that, Renton was periodically in the news due to the underground mine being on fire. As of 2017, Pennsylvania environmental officials were still trying to extinguish the underground coal fire.
