[1] Originally named Weygandt by early Dutch settlers, the township name was changed in 1862 by later French-Canadian settlers to Papineau, after the Québec nationalist hero of the 1830s Louis-Joseph Papineau.

[2] The township contains these four cemeteries: Jones, Oak Ridge, Papineau and Saint Joseph.

As of the 2020 census[1] there were 445 people, 156 households, and 107 families residing in the township.

There were 204 housing units at an average density of 6.88 per square mile (2.66/km2).

23.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.