[4] Abraham Lincoln visited the courthouse, including when he campaigned for a Congressional seat in September 1845.

Ling-Temco-Vought's bankruptcy led to acquisition of the mill by International Steel Group (ISG).

As a result of additional acquisitions followed by a merger, Putnam County's largest employer was absorbed by ArcelorMittal.

Long and arduous union lobbying and protests ultimately proved futile and ArcelorMittal ceased production at the mill in March 2009.

The mill's equipment was dismantled, sold, or shipped and on June 22, 2017, the vast plant was imploded.

As of 2020, the 800 acres once occupied by the steel mill remain mostly vacant, though infrastructure has been retained in anticipation that another industry might one day purchase and redevelop the property.

Marquis Energy opened a 100 million gallon/year ICM/Fagen ethanol plant just north of town in April 2008.