Fair, James G.

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James Graham Fair, a native of Ireland, may never have actually resided in Santa Cruz County but spent time here and had a large impact on the area, mainly in the 1870s and 80s. He was the main backer of the South Pacific Coast Railroad (SPC) that reached Santa Cruz in 1880, and was a U. S. Senator from Nevada in 1881-85. Fair Avenue on the Westside is named for him because he had a major interest in the racing track once located there. For many years after the Swanton House burned down in 1887 Fair owned the site, which remained empty until the current Santa Cruz Post Office was built there in 1911.