The town of Denair , or Elmwood as it was first known, was laid out on the land conveyed by the San Francisco and San Joaquin Railway in March 1897.  There was not much development in the early years and in 1905, John Denair bought up much of the surrounding land, including the Elmwood town site.  In April 1907 the town s name was changed to Denair and so it has since remained. Agriculture played an important role in the development of Denair and continues today.