Eugene Field wrote "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" — one of the most famous children's poems in American literature. He wrote it, or at least began it, in Denver. Field lived in the city from 1881 to 1883 as managing editor of the Denver Tribune, and the 1875 Victorian cottage at 715 South Franklin Street became part of his Denver story. Denver Landmark #34 is a building that connects the gold rush era to the children's bedside — and has bullet holes that may or may not be from a Mint robbery. Denver Historic Landmarks Map

The house was built in 1875 in what would become the Washington Park neighborhood. Eugene Field arrived in Denver six years later, in 1881, to take the position of managing editor at the Denver Tribune. He was 31 years old, already known as a humorist and columnist, and he threw himself into Denver's literary and journalistic community with evident pleasure.

Field's two years in Denver were among the most productive of his early career. His column "Sharps and Flats" — later syndicated nationally from Chicago — developed much of its voice during the Denver years. He wrote poetry for his children, who were young during the Denver period; "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" and "Little Boy Blue" were both associated with this era of his writing, though they were published after he left for Chicago in 1883.

Field was also a notorious practical joker. Denver newspapers of the 1880s recorded several Field pranks that became local legends — including a story about him convincing a visiting theater company that Denver altitude caused temporary insanity, which the actors apparently believed long enough for Field to observe the results. Denver's Oldest Landmarks

The most persistent story about the Eugene Field House involves bullet holes in the exterior woodwork, attributed locally to a robbery in the vicinity of the Denver Mint in 1883 — the year Field left Denver for Chicago. Whether the bullet holes are genuine, and whether they have any connection to the Mint robbery, is a matter of local legend rather than established historical record. Denver preservation historians note the attribution is plausible in geography and timing but unverified by primary sources.

The legend has its own historical value: it reflects how Denver's gold rush history and its cultural history became interwoven in the popular memory of the city's earliest neighborhoods. Explore Denver

The Eugene Field House is a Victorian frame cottage — 1.5 stories with dormer windows, a front porch with decorative gingerbread trim, and a general character typical of 1870s residential construction in Denver's emerging streetcar suburbs. It is one of the more intact examples of this vernacular residential type in the Washington Park area.

<strong>Eugene Field House — 715 South Franklin Street, Washington Park</strong><br/>Visiting status: Contact Denver Parks & Recreation for current public access information.<br/>Located near Washington Park — one of Denver's best urban parks.<br/>Nearest RTD: Bus routes along E. Alameda Ave. No direct light rail.

715 South Franklin Street, Denver — in the Washington Park neighborhood, near the park's northern entrance. RTD bus routes run along East Alameda Avenue. There is no direct light rail stop; bus or car is most practical. The surrounding Washington Park neighborhood is excellent for walking.

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