Barron Collier

Barron Gift Collier Sr., founder of the county and the company that bears his name, made his fortune in streetcar advertising and left his indelible mark on the state and the country. Southwest Florida was his true passion. After his first visit in 1911, he purchased Useppa Island for $100,000, and eventually acquired over 1.3 million acres of land here. He brought the first telephone service, first railroad, first newspapers, and first bus company to this area