He invested millions of dollars to transform and develop the wilderness, including drainage of the Everglades and construction of the Tamiami Trail.

When road construction on the western side (Naples) of the Trail faced financial difficulties, Collier agreed to finish the highway on the condition that a new county be named in his honor.

[1][3][2] Collier died March 13, 1939, in Manhattan, survived by his wife and three sons, Barron Jr., Miles, and Samuel, and was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York.

[4] The family members participated in many sports, including motorsports, and especially road racing, which led to the sons Miles and Sam founding the Automobile Racing Club of America in 1933, renamed in 1944 as the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA).

[5] Briggs's renowned automobile collection was purchased by a member of the Collier family, and is now part of the Revs Institute for Automotive Research in Naples, Florida, which is open to the public.