On July 7, 1923, before there were air conditioners or major roadways, Collier County was created. The need to patrol the citizens living within the newly established 1,276,160 acres of land became eminent.
Collier was dubbed “Florida’s last frontier” and CCSO’s first Sheriff, Capt. W.R. Maynard and his family proved this to be true. In December 1926 while Maynard was away, his wife, accompanied by her two-year-old son, led a posse to pursue and successfully capture three fugitives in the Everglades.