Springfield was first settled in the early 1700's, the first substantiated date being 1717, when the Briant family came from Hackensack. The tombstone of William Stites, who is buried in the old burying ground on Mountain Avenue, is dated 1729. Some of the descendents of the family still live here. Other early families were the Whiteheads, Van Winkles, Denmans and Woodruffs.

The early settlers often saw groups of Indians in the vicinity, particularly the Unamis, " People Down the River", who were one of the three groups of the Lenape Tribe.

Two centuries ago the area surrounding Springfield was covered with dense forests. Only a primitive road connected Morristown and Elizabethtown until 1801, when a turnpike road was constructed between Elizabethtown Point and the Delaware River in Sussex County. To avoid paying a toll on the Morris & Sussex Turnpike, the natives built a parallel road and, appropriately, named it "Shunpike Road". Today, the Baltusrol Golf and Country Club is located here.