Ardis Furnace is the site of the old experimental blast furnace that was built in 1908 by John T. Jones. He named it such after his daughter, and designed it to manufacture a ?nearly pure pig iron? that is comparably better than what is produced by the regular means. He also intended his furnace to use less fuel and get better results using a 1908 patent.

Initially, the project was a success. This led him to expand and build more furnaces in other places, but soon enough, a huge problem arose, and it led him to bankruptcy. The project was abandoned and Jones was forced to work as a mining consultant.

Threatened to be demolished by the 1970s, the Ardis Furnace was saved by the Menominee Range Historical Foundation. This led to the Hanna Mining Company buying the property and donating it to the group.