Auglaize County, Ohio
| Auglaize County, Ohio | |
 Location in the state of Ohio |
|
 Ohio's location in the U.S. |
|
| Founded | February 14, 1848[1] |
|---|---|
| Seat | Wapakoneta |
| Largest city | Wapakoneta |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
401.90 sq mi (1,041 km²) 401.39 sq mi (1,040 km²) 0.52 sq mi (1 km²), 0.13% |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
45,949 114.5/sq mi (44/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website | www.auglaizecounty.org |
Auglaize County (
/ˈɔːɡleɪz/)[2] is a county located in the state of Ohio. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 45,949, which is a decrease of 1.4% from 46,611 in 2000.[3] It is included in the Wapakoneta, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area. Its county seat is Wapakoneta[4].
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) [5] while others say it comes from a Native American word meaning "fallen timbers".[1][6]
Contents |
[edit] Government
[edit] Current officials
- Board of Commissioners:
- John Bergman (R)
- Don Regula (R)
- Doug Spencer (R)
- Clerk of Courts: Sue Ellen Kohler (R)
- Sheriff: Al Solomon (D)
- County Auditor: Janet Schuler (D)
- County Coroner: Thomas R. Freytag (R)
- County Engineer: Douglas P. Rinehart (R)
- County Prosecutor: Edwin Pierce (R)
- County Recorder: Ann Billings (R)
- County Treasurer: April Bowersock (R)
[edit] Judiciary
[edit] Courthouse
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 Courthouse marked its centennial in 1994, and continues in its role as seat of the county's courts,[7] along with the much newer West Municipal Court in St. Mary's.[8]
[edit] Judges
Three elected judges sit in Auglaize County:
- Judge Frederick D. Pepple presides over the Common Pleas Court[9]
- Judge Mark E. Spees presides over the Probate,[10] Domestic Relations,[11] and Juvenile[12] Courts
- Judge Gary W. Herman presides over the County Municipal Court[13]
[edit] Courts
- The Court of Common Pleas handles the bulk of the county's caseload, including all felony criminal cases, and civil cases of all kinds involving claims typically in excess of $15,000 or claims for injunctive relief, as well as appeals from state agencies.[9]
- The Probate Court handles estates, adoptions, legal guardianships, name changes, mental illnesses, approves minor personal injury settlement claims, approves wrongful death settlements, and issues marriage licenses. Additionally, the Court keeps all vital statistics records prior to 1908.[10]
- The Domestic Relations Court oversees all divorces, dissolutions of marriage, civil domestic protective orders, post-divorce decree motions, modifications of parental rights and responsibilities, modifications of child support and visitation arrangements, and contempt actions.[11]
- The Juvenile Court handles all juvenile complaints dealing with delinquent and unruly children, juvenile traffic offenders, dependent, neglected and abused children, parentage cases and custody cases.[12]
- The Municipal Court sits in both Wapakoneta and St. Marys[13] and hears misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic cases, civil claims less than $15,000, and cases involving violations of the municipal codes.
[edit] Related entities
- The elected clerk of courts, Jean Meckstroth, directs the staffing, recordkeeping, and administration of all the county courts, as well as registering vehicle titles.[14] The Clerk of Courts also issues writs to carry out court orders. Some of these writs include summons, subpoenas, warrants to arrest and to convey to penal institutions, and signing the execution warrant in capital cases. A clerk of courts also accepts bonds, calls juries & grand juries, certifies the commissions of notaries public, administers oaths, and files judgment and state tax liens.[15]
- The county's law library provides legal reference services to the judges and attorneys of the county.[16]
- The county prosecuting attorney, Edwin A. Pierce, and his staff prosecute all felony offenses, along with all misdemeanor, criminal and traffic offenses in violation of the Ohio Revised Code. The prosecutor also participates in the presentation of cases of delinquency, unruly, juvenile traffic offenses, and abuse, neglect and dependency offenses involving juveniles in the Juvenile Court. Additionally, the prosecutor serves as the legal advisor to county elected officials and departments.[17]
- S. Mark Weller, the county's public defender is responsible for providing legal representation to indigent persons facing criminal charges within the county court system.[18]
[edit] Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 401.90 square miles (1,040.9 km2), of which 401.39 square miles (1,039.6 km2) (or 99.87%) is land and 0.52 square miles (1.3 km2) (or 0.13%) is water.[19]
The county is crossed by the Auglaize River and the Miami and Erie Canal. The headwaters of the Saint Marys River, the Great Miami River and the Scioto River as well as portions of Grand Lake St. Marys and Lake Loramie are located within the county.[20]
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Allen County - north
- Hardin County - east
- Logan County - southeast
- Shelby County - south
- Mercer County - west
- Van Wert County - northwest
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 11,338 |
|
|
| 1860 | 17,187 | 51.6% | |
| 1870 | 20,041 | 16.6% | |
| 1880 | 25,444 | 27.0% | |
| 1890 | 28,100 | 10.4% | |
| 1900 | 31,192 | 11.0% | |
| 1910 | 31,246 | 0.2% | |
| 1920 | 29,527 | −5.5% | |
| 1930 | 28,034 | −5.1% | |
| 1940 | 28,037 | 0% | |
| 1950 | 30,637 | 9.3% | |
| 1960 | 36,147 | 18.0% | |
| 1970 | 38,602 | 6.8% | |
| 1980 | 42,554 | 10.2% | |
| 1990 | 44,585 | 4.8% | |
| 2000 | 46,611 | 4.5% | |
As of the census[21] of 2000, there were 46,611 people, 17,376 households, and 12,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 116 people per square mile (45/km²). There were 18,470 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile (18/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.12% White, 0.24% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. 0.67% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 59.5% were of German, 10.9% American, 6.9% Irish and 6.3% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 97.9% spoke English and 1.2% Spanish as their first language.
There were 17,376 households out of which 35.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.10% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.50% were non-families. 23.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the county the population was spread out with 27.60% under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 22.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $43,367, and the median income for a family was $50,024. Males had a median income of $37,024 versus $23,809 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,593. About 4.90% of families and 6.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.20% of those under age 18 and 6.40% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Economics
Auglaize County's economy is based in Manufacturing.[22] Employers with more than 400 employees are Crown Equipment Corporation, Joint Township District Memorial Hospital, the Minster Machine Company, Setex, Inc, AAP-St. Mary's Corporation (a division of Hitachi Metals), Veyance Technologies, Inc (Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company), and the Dannon Company.[23]
[edit] Communities
Auglaize County, Ohio 
