The town grew during the Industrial Revolution as the mining industry expanded. On 18 March 1979 there was a methane explosion at the town's colliery caused by an electrical spark, which took the lives of ten miners. Of the eleven present, only one survived. The colliery closed in 1989. The location of the former colliery is known locally as the 'Bonk' which originated in the migration of Welsh miners to North West coal mines: 'Bonk' derives from the Welsh: banc 1. bank n.m. (banciau) mound n.m. (bencydd) bank n.m. (bencydd) hillock n.m. (bencydd) ('a' to 'o' mutation) – the spoil heap of the colliery. It is now used as a business park. The closure of the colliery led to the loss of employment for a large proportion of Golborne's population as well as people from nearby towns such as Abram, Lowton and Ashton-in-Makerfield. Unemployment problems have been mostly eradicated in recent years with the introduction of new industries which have created new jobs, for example, the creation of Stone Cross Industrial Park.