The Tom Green County Commissioners Court on Tuesday authorized County Judge Lane Carter to sign an application for a Texas Historical Commission marker honoring Dr. Edward Ritchey Forbes, a former Texas State Veterinarian who is buried in Mereta Cemetery, within Tom Green County, about one mile east of Mereta on Bledsoe Road.
The request, presented by Golda Foster, chairman of the Tom Green County Historical Society, aims to commemorate Forbes’s contributions to veterinary medicine in Texas and his military service abroad. Foster was joined by William V. Scott, the Historical Marker Chair, who has led research efforts into Forbes’s life and career.
Scott told commissioners that Dr. Forbes was a Canadian-trained veterinarian from Toronto who served in multiple military and civilian capacities throughout his career. He served in the United States Army in the Pacific Northwest, was the veterinarian for the Kansas City stockyards, and later served in the British Army during both the Boer War and World War I.
After his military service, Forbes practiced veterinary medicine across the Gulf Coast before settling in Texas. In 1909, he was appointed as the Texas State Veterinarian, serving under two governors until 1915, when he resigned following the death of his wife. During his tenure, he oversaw the transportation of more than 5,000 American horses to Europe for military use.
“His legacy encompasses the significant contributions of veterinary surgery, dentistry, and pharmaceutical sales on the West Texas frontier,” Scott said.
Following his state service, Forbes continued to work in West Texas, establishing offices in San Angelo, Coleman, and Ballinger. His practice focused on surgery, lameness, dentistry, ranch work, and livestock testing—fields that were still developing in rural Texas during the early 20th century.
Foster said the proposed historical marker would be placed next to Forbes’s grave in Mereta Cemetery.
“We feel that there are lots of hidden stories, undertold stories, in Tom Green County, and this is an astounding one,” she said. “Because of his service to the state of Texas and the world, he deserves recognition.”
Judge Carter commended the effort to preserve Forbes’s legacy.
“The historical significance of being a veterinarian for the horses that were going to the battle fronts—that was one of the last main battle fronts that you saw the usage of horses before tanks and automobiles came through on the war front. That’s significant by itself,” Carter said.
Foster said that once approved, the process to receive the marker could take more than a year, with the possibility of it being in place by November 2026.
