John MacLean was a Methodist minister and missionary to Indigenous communities, serving in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Manitoba. He edited The Wesleyan for 1902-1906, served as Archivist of the Methodist Church and Librarian of Wesley College, Winnipeg, 1918-1928. He also studied native culture, and wrote numerous books and pamphlets on the history of Methodism, Western Canada, and native peoples.

The residential school was preceded by a small day school, opened by J.C. Richardson in 1884 on the Little Black Bear Reserve and closed soon afterwards. In 1886, R. Toms reopened the day school and it operated until 1889, when the Woman's Missionary Society with the support of the Foreign Mission Committee of The Presbyterian Church in Canada and the Department of Indian Affairs built a new school just outside of the reserve’s boundaries. This was operated by The Presbyterian Church until 1924 when its operation was transferred to the United Church of Canada who managed it until its closure in 1949.

The first hospital at Wakaw was built around 1906, sponsored by the [Presbyterian] Board of Women's Home Missionary Society, to serve the immigrants settled around Wakaw Lake (near the Geneva Mission, served by Rev. and Mrs. Arthur). It was named the Anna Turnbull Memorial Hospital, in honour of a local pastor's late wife. In 1911, a larger new building was constructed nearby for hospital activities and the old building was re-purposed to contain staff quarters and supplies storage.

In December 1942, the hospital was closed and the W.M.S. sold its contents and building (which was disassembled). The last doctor assigned there, Dr. R.G. Scott, retired in 1943 and was honoured by the Woman's Missionary Society, Saskatchewan Conference. The W.M.S. hospital would later be succeeded by the Dr. Scott Memorial Hospital, which opened in 1947.

The first Smeaton Hospital was built ca.1933, by the United Church Woman's Missionary Society (W.M.S.). It opened with 10 beds and was described as a frame two-story building, 32'x40' with a full basement. Furniture and equipment was provided from various sources, including the Battleford School Home. In 1951, after the opening of the new Smeaton Union Hospital, the W.M.S. Hospital was closed and converted into a United Church.

Hospital personnel, over the years, included: Miss Mary Clark, sent by the W.M.S. (1949-?).