The second annual Naples Swamp Buggy Race was held on this date. Invented by Naples resident Ed Frank and used throughout the Everglades and much of south Florida during the 1930s and 1940s, the swamp buggy proved to be an invaluable companion for early south Florida developers, hunters, and anyone aiming to travel through south Florida’s swamps. The buggies are generally custom built from the ground up, or heavily modified stock vehicles. Early races began in the mid-1940’s as local “gladesmen” began racing each other for fun, but by 1949 the first official swamp buggy race was held in Naples; a tradition that continues today.