(WWBT) - On this day in history: Oct. 31, 1895, the Jefferson Hotel opened in Richmond.

Imagined by Richmonder Lewis Ginter, who amassed a fortune marketing rolled cigarettes, the $5 million+ construction project finally welcomed guests on a rainy morning.

The history of the Jefferson Hotel is full of winding tales of fires, closures and even alligators!

Learn all about it in Episode 4 of Season 4 of the How We Got Here Podcast.

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