A special piece of artwork was displayed during the St. Luke’s Hospital – Miners Campus Black Diamond Garden Party held on Saturday, May 31, 2014 on the grounds of the Harry Packer and Asa Packer Mansions in Jim Thorpe.
The work was donated by artist Gerri Gardiner of Summit Hill.

Click HERE to view all photos and video from the event.

Below is correspondence from the artist about painting:
In my painting you will find the prominent St. Luke’s Star which becomes in my mind’s eye, a timeline depicting the windows of history. Beginning with the discovery of the “black diamond” in 1791 and the further development of mining in our valley, we travel on to a time when there was no adequate facility to care for these miners who were subjected to injury due to accidents and explosions. Some mines had a hospital located right within the mine; however, they could only receive first-aid treatment and were later transported by horse and cart or trolley to a facility in Ashland or Pottsville. Many patients died while making the trek to these facilities. It became apparent that we needed to build a hospital that would be closer in proximity to the mines. The new Panther Valley Creek Hospital was founded in 1910 to address the health issues of miners and their families. This was achieved through the efforts of the Labor Union president. The miners gave one day’s pay each week which was matched by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company to build it. Serving the valley well, the hospital later developed into the Coaldale State General Hospital.
My ancestrial background lends me to know some things about the hardships that miners and their families had to endure. My grandfather George E. Eickhoff worked in the Lansford No. 6 mine in the 1920’s. In 1929, he was caught between two loaded coal cars inside the mine – crushing him critically. He was hospitalized and sent home to his family, where he lived for three more days. His son, my father Leroy Eickhoff, was 14 years of age when this happened. He was already a slate picker at the time, but felt compelled to further support his family, the widowed mother, brothers and sisters at home be becoming a “deep” miner. There are many stories to be told of the sacrifices and lives of anthracite coal miners and their determination to provide a good living for their families while America continued to plunge further into the Industrial Revolution. My husband’s family history is similar to my own. His grandfather, William Paterson Gardiner and great uncle, George Gardiner traveled to America on the S.S. Columbia, arriving at Ellis Island from Glasgow, Scotland. Immediately, they settled in Lansford PA with their families where they both labored in the Lansford No. 6 Colliery. Grandfather Bill worked diligently and eventually became a foreman for the mine which allowed him to help bring and sponsor many of his family here in the United States in Panther Valley.
My inspiration for the original sketch came from many sources: the prominent St. Luke’s Star and what it means to our area; an appreciation for the sacrifices of miners of our past; pride from knowing my ancestry; and especially my faith in my heavenly Father who has provided me with this gift of paint.
Today’s St. Luke’s Miners Memorial Hospital Campus represents a state of the art facility that continues to make modern technological strides in medicine and scientific achievement. I understand that the monies raised through this (Black Diamond) event will be used to purchase some of that wonderful technology in the form of high-tech patient beds. I am truly humble and honored to have been selected to paint this year’s Black Diamond Commemorative Artwork and I hope that my contribution helps to achieve this goal.