Max Gottberg was a "change agent" one hundred years before the business term was invented. He utilized his talents and adapted his life to the challenges presented to him. Born January 22, 1860, in Brooklyn, New York he received his schooling in that city. At an early age he worked on a tug boat that plied the Wappinger River from New Hamburg, New York. Afterwards, he learned the weaving trade and worked three years in New Jersey in woolen and silk mills.

His father died when Max was twenty. Lured by the promise of the prairies, he traveled with his mother, two sisters, and two brothers to Columbus, Nebraska where in February, 1881,  Mr. Gottberg bought 80 acres of railroad land north of Columbus for $5.00 an acre. On June 21, 1883, Max married Ida Schaad, the daughter of farmers who had come to Platte County in 1866 from Switzerland. They lived on the Shell Creek Township farm until 1892 when Max bought 160 acres two miles from their homestead.

During their 24 years of farming, they raised six sons; the first, Max Jr. born October 16, 1885 (Dusters opened for business October 16, 1995) followed by Jacob, Oscar, Alex, Milton and John. Max owned the first steam threshing machine in Platte Co. and operated it until 1907. He became the third person from Columbus to own an automobile when he bought a 2 cylinder Ford at the 1903 St. Louis World's Fair. In 1905, August Wagner could not find a mechanic who could fix his Ford. Max offered his mechanical skills and a new career was started, first on his farm and two years later when he opened the first repair garage in Columbus.

He became a Ford dealer and changed the name of his business from Gottberg Automobile Supply House to Gottberg and Sons. In 1920 when Max was 60 years old, this building was built for $125,000 and was used as a Ford automobile and farm machinery agency until 1937, (when the present owner was born). Max continued to work with Max Jr. in the auto repair and storage business until Max died November 16, 1944.

Restoration of this building was begun in the fall of 1993. We are inspired by the uniqueness of this architectural gem, and the personnel of DUSTERS and GOTTBERG BREW PUB are dedicated to making your use of this facility enjoyable.

Information for this history was excerpted from the "History of Platte County" by Margaret Curry. See Page 715