To celebrate 150 years of statehood, Minnesota Public Radio wants to tell the story of the people who make up our state. It's a daunting task, and we'd like your help. Share your story of arrival in this state with other Minnesotans in our MPR-Moderated discussion group at MNArrival.Gather.com.

For those who need a little extra help telling their story, please see our tips on how to tell your story, and/or sign up for a free half hour with a videographer. For an idea of what we're looking for, watch MPR host Cathy Wurzer tell her arrival story.

View the arrival stories we've alredy collected on a map for geographic representation, or a timeline for a linear perspective. The MPR newsroom contributed stories from the archive about events or arrival stories that have had an affect on the state's history. Post your story at MNArrival.Gather.com — or just give us the quick version — and we'll add it here too.

Arrived: From: Reason: Method of travel: On Gather: MPR News story:

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New memoir tells Hmong story
A new book tells the story of one family's life in Minnesota after a harrowing escape from Laos. Hmong author Kao Kalia Yang has written a memoir called "The Latehomecomer."

Minnesota as it was
St. Paul was already a bustling community when Minnesota became a state.

Minnesota by the numbers
Minnesota may be known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes. But, really, the state has 15,291 of them.

Living history on a Minnesota farm
When Minnesota was a new state, thousands of immigrants claimed a piece of the landscape and tried to eke out a living. The wild land and harsh climate defeated many, but others prospered through hard work and a bit of luck. Two brothers have watched nearly a century of state history from their northern Minnesota farm.

Stories from the Civilian Conservation Corps
During the Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps helped propel the conservation of Minnesota's natural resources, and it gave more than 77,000 Minnesotans with jobs. Author Barbara Sommer captures the stories of these workers in her new book, "Hard Work and a Good Deal: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Minnesota."

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Tell us your story in person

We are hosting videotaping events across the state in April and May where you can join others to tell us your story in your own voice. Reserve your session below.

• May 9: Bemidji - booked
• May 14: Rochester
• May 21: St. Paul

Help craft a song about the state!

A new year is beginning — our dear state's sesquicentennial year — and our friend Ann Reed is embarking on an ambitious statewide tour to write a Song for Minnesota.

Reed, a prolific singer-songwriter and frequent guest on The Morning Show, has been selected as the Minnesota Public Radio Troubadour. She'll be touring greater Minnesota, performing at six MPR-produced and sesquicentennial-sanctioned concerts from January to May. In the tour’s grand finale at the Fitzgerald Theater, Reed will debut her new song about Minnesota.

Not only will it be a Song for Minnesota, it will be a Song of Minnesota because it will be a Song written with Minnesota.

Show and ticket information