Eau Galle (pronounced: O Galley)--a quaint village nestled in the rolling hills of western Wisconsin--has had a milk processing plant since the mid-1800's.

Leo Buhlman, Founder, apprenticed for eight years as a cheese maker in Switzerland before coming to the United States in 1926.

After working at a number of Wisconsin cheese factories and learning English, Leo purchased the then closed cheese plant in Eau Galle in 1945 and it became known as the Eau Galle Cheese Factory.

He made and marketed swiss cheese for the next thirteen years. In 1958 he
made and marketed cheddar cheese to meet the changing market. Within the
next couple of years he began making hard Italian cheese which to this day
is Eau Galle Cheese Factory's niche.

In 1964, his son, John Buhlman, took over management of the plant. But Leo
continued putting in long days making cheese until he was 89 years old and
it became too difficult for him to get around on his two walking canes.

In 1986, the Eau Galle Cheese Factory retained the village name when it
built and moved to a new state of the art facility four miles East of Eau
Galle on State Hwy 25, two miles North of Durand.

In 2005, once again, the factory underwent measures to improve its facility
and added all new automated equipment. The Plant also was certified in 2005
for Organic production of hard Italian cheeses.

The Eau Galle Cheese Factory continues to be operated by the Buhlman family
which takes pride in the cheese it produces.