1856, and two stations were in the township, in Andersonville and Davisburg. The railroad provided a major impetus to growth. Agriculture was the mainstay of the local economy and trains allowed the farmers to ship produce and livestock to market and to receive supplies and equipment. By 1860 Springfield Township's population was 1,425.
In 1924, Dixie Highway was paved from Pontiac to Flint. With the decline of agriculture as a major economic activity in the township, residents began commuting to Pontiac and Flint for employment in the developing automotive factories, marking the beginning of the township's decline. By 1930, Springfield Township's population had fallen to 923. The township's decline would unexpectedly be reversed in the 1960s with the construction of Interstate 75. The accessibility provided by two interchanges acceleratedresidential growth in the late 1960s and 1970s. Population improved, going from 1,825 in 1950 to 2,664 in 1960, 4,388 in 1970, 6,502 in 1976, and 8,295 in 1980.
Springfield Township has had a long-standing commitment to zoning and planning dating back to the early 1950s. The Township Board adopted an interim zoning ordinance in early 1952, which contained five zoning districts. In 1965 an ordinance which contained 13 different zoning districts was adopted. Planning and zoning functions were coordinated with the adoption of the township's first Master Plan in 1972 and subsequently the adoption of an entirely new zoning ordinance the following year. The 1973 ordinance serves as a basis for the current zoning ordinance.
Out of concern for the residential growth during the 1970s and its effects on