In today’s world, nothing stands the test of time like a well-cared for building. The Gossard in Ishpeming is just such a structure.

For 37 years, the four-story structure has been lovingly tended by Paul and Sandra Arsenault.

The couple has now passed the torch to a group of four owners — Matthew Beardsley, Iver Johnson, David Lawler and Brice Sturmer.

The building is its own microcosm of activity in downtown Ishpeming. But its also representative of the sometimes colorful history of the area.

The Arsenaults helped shape the economy of western Marquette County with their work at the Gossard. When Paul Arsenault purchased the building in 1985, it had two businesses in it. Now it boasts well over a dozen.

The factory, which teamed with life in the mid-twentieth century, has been re-imagined and repurposed. But the Arsenaults were also keenly aware of the building’s history and how it contributed to the culture of the area.

The structure’s first claim to fame in the late 1880’s was as the F. Braastad & Co. Department Store, then in 1920, it housed the H.W. Gossard Company, a maker of women’s corsets. It employed over 500 people, mostly women, according to the Old Gossard website.

The factory helped to diversify Ishpeming’s economy, which at the time was dominated by iron mining.

It held another distinction as well. A 16-week strike for fair wages in 1949, led, again mostly by women.

The building was eventually purchased by a development company and turned back into a retail space called the Pioneer Square a few years before the Arsenault’s purchased it.

One of the many things Sandra Arsenault has done to preserve the history of the building during her tenure is to pay tribute to the people that worked there.

If you have ever been inside the Gossard, you, no doubt have seen the wall dedicated with the names of many “Gossard Girls.”

We congratulate the Arsenaults on their well-deserved retirement. And we hope the new owners continue the legacy as they bring this historic building into its next phase.

Ishpeming and Marquette County are fortunate indeed to have people who are interested both in continuing the area’s economic development and preserving vital parts of our rich history.