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While Erik and I were hanging around in St. Paul, wasting time before the Dave Matthews Band concert started, we wandered over to Rice Park, which is not far from the Xcel Energy Center. Rice Park is named for Henry M. Rice, one of the major movers & shakers in Minnesota’s history. He had a lot to do with early development in Little Falls, where we’re located.

I had to take a picture of the descriptive sign in Rice Park because of the connection between St. Paul and Little Falls. I found another familiar name on the sign, John Irvine, who also was involved in with our history.

Rice Park sign, St. Paul, MN, September 15, 2010.

Rice Park sign, St. Paul, MN, September 15, 2010.

Love the note about the goodwill squirrels donated to the park. Rice Park couldn’t possibly have had enough squirrels in 1873.

Rice Park has a number of sculptures, my favorites being those of the Peanuts characters Peppermint Patty and Marcie. Hubby and I couldn’t think of Marcie’s name while we were in the park. We kept wanting to call her “Sir,” which is the term she uses for Peppermint Patty.

Marcie sits on a bench reading a book in Rice Park and there’s nothing I like better than book-reading sculptures. (See me with the book-reading frog in the sidebar.) I had to have a picture taken with her and Hubby obliged.

Marcie and me, Rice Park, St. Paul, MN, Sept. 15, 2010.

Marcie and me, Rice Park, St. Paul, MN, Sept. 15, 2010.

Didn’t he do a great job lining up this shot to include Peppermint Patty, too? As I examine this photo more closely, I see that Woodstock is on the back of the bench. I hadn’t noticed him when I was at the park.

If you want to know more about Marcie’s character, check out her page on the Peanuts Wiki. (Yeah, there’s a Peanuts Wiki. Amazing what you can find online.)

Apparently there are three other Peanuts sculptures nearby – in Landmark Plaza – but we didn’t see them.

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