When the first settlers arrived in what was to eventually become Renton, the Cedar River joined the Black River as it left Lake Washington. The rich land at the confluence of these rivers became the land claims of the first settlers: Henry Tobin, 1853; Erasmus Smithers, 1856; William Smith, 1856; and Christian Clymer, 1863. Renton, incorporated in 1901, was named for Captain William Renton whose financial resources backed the creation of the Renton Coal Company. Renton was one of the most successful businessmen in the territory. [City of Renton, www.rentonwa.gov, accessed February, 2011]