Edwina Hume Fallis
Educator, toy designer, and memoirist of early Denver.
Edwina Hume Fallis (November 15, 1876 – September 14, 1957) worked as an educator, writer, poet, and toy designer. She is remembered for a children’s memoir, *When Denver and I Were Young* (1956), which sold out its first printing and went into a second, and for publishing more than one hundred poems. In 1989, she was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame.
Fallis grew up in Denver, Colorado, in a house at the corner of West 14th and Acoma Streets—now the site of the Denver Public Library. Her maternal grandfather, Daniel Hurd, had been president of the Denver school board. She attended Denver public schools and graduated from East High School in 1895, delivering a graduation speech titled “Ideas Stronger Than Armies.” She then earned a degree from the Colorado State College of Education and took additional coursework at the University of Denver, Columbia University, and in Chicago.
Her first job was as an assistant kindergarten teacher in Denver. During story hour, she found that small groups held her students’ attention easily, but larger groups were more challenging. To help, she began making toys and props for classic tales such as “Three Billy Goats Gruff,” “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” “Chicken Little,” and “The Three Little Pigs.” When she noticed children using the toys to invent their own stories, she created about eighty figurines—including animals, wagons, automobiles, trains, and airplanes—that could be used with more than two dozen stories.
In the late 1930s, Fallis and her sister Bella, who designed the figurines, opened the Fallis Toy Shop in Denver. Because manufacturing the toys was too expensive, Fallis wrote *The Child and Things* (1940), a book that reproduced images of the toys. She sent a copy to the Association for Childhood Education convention in Milwaukee, where a toy manufacturer saw it and arranged for the Judy Company of Minneapolis to produce the figurines, sending royalty checks to the Fallis Toy Shop.
Over her 42-year teaching career, Fallis wrote textbooks and articles for educators. After retiring, she contributed stories to *Child Life* magazine and published more than 100 poems, many collected in anthologies. While recovering from a heart attack, she wrote *When Denver and I Were Young*, a memoir for children about growing up in Denver between 1876 and 1890.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- November 15, 1876
- Birth Place
- Denver, Colorado
- Death Date
- 1957-09-14
- Occupation
- Educator, writer, poet, toy designer
- Notable Works
- When Denver and I Were Young (1956)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Edwina Hume Fallis was born in Denver, Colorado, and grew up at the corner of West 14th and Acoma Streets, now the site of the Denver Public Library. Her maternal grandfather, Daniel Hurd, was president of the Denver school board. She graduated from East High School in 1895, delivering a graduation speech titled 'Ideas Stronger Than Armies' about great historical ideas. She later graduated from the Colorado State College of Education and studied at the University of Denver, Columbia University, and in Chicago.
Fallis began her career as an assistant kindergarten teacher in Denver. During story hour, she found that small groups held children's attention better than large ones, so she created toys and props to help students follow classic stories such as 'Three Billy Goats Gruff' and 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears.' When children began using the toys to create their own scripts, she expanded to animal figurines and vehicles, producing about 80 figurines for more than two dozen stories. In the late 1930s, she and her sister Bella opened the Fallis Toy Shop in Denver. After seeing the high cost of manufacturing, Fallis wrote 'The Child and Things' (1940), which reproduced images of the toys. A copy sent to an Association for Childhood Education convention was seen by a toy manufacturer, who arranged for the Judy Company of Minneapolis to produce the figurines and send royalties to the shop.
Over 42 years as a kindergarten teacher, Fallis wrote textbooks and articles for teachers. After retiring, she wrote stories for Child Life magazine and published over 100 poems, many in anthologies. While recovering from a heart attack, she wrote 'When Denver and I Were Young' (1956), a memoir for children about growing up in Denver between 1876 and 1890, describing horse-drawn vehicles, the gravity streetcar, school and family life, and meeting Baby Doe Tabor. The book sold out its first printing and went into a second.
Reader's Guide
Edwina Hume Fallis's significance lies in her practical innovation in early childhood education and her documentation of Denver's frontier-era childhood. By creating simple, handmade figurines to help kindergarteners follow stories, she addressed a common classroom challenge and inadvertently launched a small toy business. Her book 'The Child and Things' led to mass production of her designs, making her a pioneer in educational toy design. Her memoir 'When Denver and I Were Young' preserves a vivid, child's-eye view of Denver from 1876 to 1890, including details of daily life and local figures. Her posthumous induction into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 1989 and the naming of Edwina Hume Fallis Elementary School in 1961 reflect her lasting impact on education and Colorado heritage. Her work as a poet and writer for teachers further extended her influence beyond the classroom.
Did You Know?
- Fallis created about 80 figurines applicable to more than two dozen children's stories.
- She wrote her memoir 'When Denver and I Were Young' while convalescing from a heart attack.
- The Denver school district named an elementary school after her in 1961.
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