Springfield is a beautiful and historic community located in scenic Robertson County, one of Tennessee's leading counties in agricultural production. Robertson County was named in honor of General James Robertson, the founder of the Cumberland Settlements. Thomas Kilgore established the first settlement in Robertson County on the Red River in 1779.

Tennessee was known as the western territory of North Carolina at the time of Kilgore's arrival. The area that is Robertson County today later became a part of Tennessee County, one of three counties in the Mero District of North Carolina. At the time of statehood in 1796, Tennessee County was divided into Montgomery and Robertson counties.

The first General Assembly of Tennessee authorized a county seat for Robertson County by the name of Springfield in 1796, but it was not until 1798 that the town was established.