The Little People concept (the people themselves) begins all the way back in 1932 with the creation of the #600 Woodsey Cart toys.  There were six different version of this toy, with each being a wooden hay-cart harnessed to a wooden circus figure (either an elephant, a bear, a lion, a pony, a dog, or a clown).  On the top of the cart is a segmented wooden figure who "drives" the animal/cart unit, and it is this figure that previews the overall appearance of what was to one day become the Original Little People line.   Made for one year only, they were the only human-like forms that resemble the later Little People that were made by Fisher Price for the next 18 years.  

In 1950, we began to see more and more toys introduced that built upon this original design......the most popular being the #7 Looky Fire Truck.  In this popular toy, you can really see the fundamental shape, size, and facial features of what was to become, almost a decade later, the "Original" Little People.  Following the success of this toy, the company quickly developed the #415 Super-Jet and the ever-popular #730 Racing Rowboat toys, both of which were for sale during 1952-53.   More toys followed, developing upon the same theme and style, all of which culminated with the introduction, in 1959, of the #983 Safety School Bus, which not only carried on the same tradition of human character features but also, for the first time, had figures that were removable from their vehicles, thus significantly increasing their play potential and possibilities.  

The rest, of course, is history!