A black granite monument dedicated to all those who toiled in the mines in the Tamaqua-Panther Valley area from the discovery of coal to the present was unveiled at the No. 9 Mine and Museum, Lansford.

Dozens of dignitaries, including Sen. James Rhoades and Rep. Keith McCall, were on hand to stress the importance of the anthracite heritage.Officials reiterated the long-accepted theory that the black diamonds found in the region fueled the industrial revolution in America, turning the country from a land of farmers to a land of heavy industry.Officials predicted with the price of oil hitting $2 a gallon, the country would turn to coal as its prime source of energy.