A Thursday, June 26, 1890 Florence Gazette biographical sketch of Jim Cross, a former slave of Benjamin Cross. Jim was 81 years old in 1890 and still lived where he had lived with his master, nine miles east of Florence on the Huntsville Road, having worked for four years on the first Muscle Shoals Canal, which was built between 1831 and 1836. ]]> 1890-06-26]]>