Auglaize County /

Auglaize County ( /ˈɔːɡleɪz/) is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States with a population of 46,611 as of the 2000 U.S. census. It is included in the Wapakoneta, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area. Its county seat is Wapakoneta. The county is named for the Auglaize River. Some sources say it is a corruption of the French description of the clay (glaise) water (eau) while others say it comes from a Native American word meaning "fallen timbers". The county's first courthouse, built in 1851 at a cost of $11,499.00, was in use until 1894, when the current Courthouse first opened to the public. Occupying an entire city block, the Courthouse and its adjacent powerhouse cost the then-princely sum of $259,481.00 and occupied 85 men for 18 months in its construction, commencing on July 2, 1893. Built of Berea sandstone with tile floors, the Courthouse was highly fire-resistant. The boilers for heating and power generation, a significant cause of fire at the time, were located in a separate powerhouse, along with the steam-driven dynamos that produced the electricity which, along with steam for heating and hot water, was fed to the building via an underground conduit. The