Litle Green Men?

When did the idea of little men from space first emerge into our consciousness?  Why did it arrive, if not from actual visiting alien craft, and what does it all mean?  Deep probing questions for sure.  

I was amazed to learn that stories of little men can be traced back to reports as early as the 1930's, predating the 1947 Roswell, NM event said to have sparked the idea.

In 1937 in Fontana, California it is reported a group of people on a dark rural road were illumunitated by an "unknown shaft of orange light coming from the sky while walking back from the movies".  Greatly frightened the group ran into a nearby orange grove for cover. Later one of the main witness remembered waking up at night finding his bedroom filled with a subdued light and four or five little figures with big heads and eyes looking at him."   "The figures appeared to be light blue or green gray in color. The figures then would move around and touched him. One night he recalled seeing the little men and a white light would appear at the door accompanied by a tall man (he could not see his features) that appeared to be in charge of the little humanoids. He never felt any fear during the encounters." Source: http://www.ufoinfo.com/humanoid/humanoid1935.shtml     Source: NUFORC.