Thinking back on veterinarian Ol' Doc Black

If you lived in eastern New Mexico prior to 1971 and had pets or livestock, there's a decent chance you remember the veterinarian known as Doc Black.

Or maybe, like our family, you called him Ol' Doc Black.

His name came up in a conversation a few weeks ago, and it set me to trying to learn more about him.

The first challenge was finding out his first name.

Turns out I wasn't the only person who didn't know right away - to so many here, he was simply Doc.

Thanks to a post on social media spotted by an old-timer with connections, I eventually had his whole name - William "Bill" Lawrence Black - and a phone number for his granddaughter, Kathy Black Meadow who, along with her sister, Cindy, was raised by Doc and his wife, Nellie, in Portales.

Doc Black's home and adjoining veterinary clinic were on South Avenue O in Portales, just north of St. Helen Catholic Church, and across the street from what was then Eastern New Mexico College's dairy barn, Meadow said.

(Greyhound alumni from the 1970s and 1980s may recall the property as "the Pike house," which was owned and operated by the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity after the Blacks sold it.)

The compound included the main house in the front, Meadow said, as well as "a guest house / office / game room at the back; a drug room, indoor / outdoor kennels and runs on one side; and an office / operating room / small animal indoor cages and outdoor runs on the other side."

For a little girl who loved animals, it was an ideal place to grow up.

"It was wonderful living at the clinic day in and day out," Meadow said. "Anytime someone could no longer keep their pets, they would 'donate' them to Dr. Black's girls. We always had dogs and cats from others. I once raised a lamb in a dog kennel as a 4-H project."

Doc Black was born in 1890 in Ohio, and his wife, Nellie Gregory Black, was born in 1893 in Texas.

"I don't know how or where my grandparents met," Meadow said. "I know they celebrated their 50th anniversary on July 22, 1970, on my grandmother's birthday."

Doc received his veterinary degree from the State Agriculture College of Colorado - today known as Colorado State University - and moved with his wife to Las Cruces in 1927.

"My grandfather was an extension animal husbandry man and state veterinarian," Meadow said. "He was associated with New Mexico A & M college in Las Cruces for 10 years before moving to Portales in 1937 to establish a private veterinarian practice."

She wasn't sure how or why the Blacks picked Portales.

Black - who had an engaging grin - appears in a staff photo in the 1941 yearbook for Eastern New Mexico College as an instructor in animal husbandry, so it's possible some connection to the still-new college lured him to the High Plains.

Whatever the reason, it was a good fit. For the next 34 years, the Blacks stayed here and cared for all kinds of critters.

Both of her grandparents were highly involved the practice, Meadow said.

"He treated and nurtured all animals, large, small, and everything in-between," she said, "whether it was a calving cow or a bird with a fractured leg. My grandmother assisted my grandfather and tended to all the smaller animal needs of boarding, feeding, and anything else that popped up."

Until M.V. Hinderliter moved to Portales in 1952 to also open a veterinary clinic, Meadow believes her grandfather was the sole veterinarian serving a widespread geographic area.

"No distance was too close or too far when an animal was in need and the time of day didn't matter," Meadow recalled. "I remember one time when my grandfather got a call at 3 a.m. and drove to the edge of Roswell to pull a calf."

Meadow said she and her sister loved having access to all kinds of animals and lending assistance when they could.

"When my grandfather did surgery, I stood at the operating table and sponged," Meadow said. "I thought I was a real helper. I remember, also, when farmers would bring in their greyhounds, and sometimes other animals, full of porcupine quills and we would spend hours removing the quills."

A favorite memory involved a mammoth St. Bernard dog owned by local physician Harry Loree, who dropped the dog off for boarding each year at vacation time.

"Cindy and I would ride him like a pony," Meadow said. "Needless to say, we were quite young at the time, but always looked forward to Dr. Loree's vacation."

Meadow said that besides his regular practice, her grandfather spent every Saturday morning working at the local livestock auction, administering vaccinations to animals being sold.

Doc Black also made time for his two-legged neighbors. He was an active member of the Masonic Lodge and a Portales Rotarian, where for 30 years he chaired the committee that oversaw the development and maintenance of Rotary Park.

Black retired in August of 1971 at the age of 81 (which might be why some of us remember him as "Ol' Doc Black"). He and Nellie moved to Las Cruces to be closer to Meadow's family, which by then included the Blacks' first great-grandchild, Misha.

Only a few weeks later, Doc Black suffered a fatal stroke. His wife lived until 1973.

"When I remember my grandparents," Meadow said, "I recall their great love for animals and passing that love on to me.

"I recall their appreciation of their community and the many friends they had in Portales," she added. "I remember their generosity and kindness. I remember their hard work and dedication to the community and family."

And many of us remember a veterinarian with an infectious smile, a kind heart ... and an elusive first name.

Betty Williamson would love to spend a day visiting with ol' Doc Black. Reach her at:

[email protected]