---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Until almost the 20th century, Central…"
description: "\"“Until almost the 20th century, Central Park was home to a shepherd and a flock of 200 sheep.”\" — Bill Bryson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/bill-bryson-340_central-park_until-almost-the-20th-century-central-pa_415320.png"
---

#  Until almost the 20th century, Central Park was home to a…

![“Until almost the 20th century, Central Park was home to a shepherd and a flock of 200 sheep.” quote by Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/bill-bryson-340_central-park_until-almost-the-20th-century-central-pa_415320.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/bill-bryson-340_central-park_until-almost-the-20th-century-central-pa_415320.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/bill-bryson-340_central-park_until-almost-the-20th-century-central-pa_415320.png)

> ““Until almost the 20th century, Central Park was home to a shepherd and a flock of 200 sheep.””

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Historically, Central Park once housed a shepherd and 200 sheep, showing how urban spaces can retain rural elements.

**In simple terms:** Central Park once had a shepherd and many sheep.

Key Takeaway

Recognize hidden histories in familiar places.

Themes

history urban change nature surprise

Mood

curious reflective

Type

historical informative

When to use this quote

- city tours
- educational walks
- heritage projects
- environmental studies

Key Concepts

urban planning human-animal relationships

Questions to Reflect On

- How do past uses of city spaces affect current identity?
- What can we learn from integrating nature into urban design?

A Different Perspective

Modern parks rarely host livestock, limiting direct rural experiences.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Central park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/central-park/) [Lion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lion/) [Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shepherd/)

## Related quotes

> [“Seriously, big guy, you just need to make like a shepherd and get the flock out of here.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-reid/seriously-big-guy-you-just-need-to-make-like-a-shepherd-and-get-the/)

[Penny Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-reid/)

> [Sheep are not the docile, pleasant creatures of the pastoral idyll. Any countryman will tell you that. They are sly, occasionally vicious, pathologically stupid.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-harris/sheep-are-not-the-docile-pleasant-creatures-of-the-pastoral-idyll-any/)

[Joanne Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-harris/)

> [“I network like a shepherd with a flock of sheep. I’m constantly on the lookout for wolves, and I’m always in the mood for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-network-like-a-shepherd-with-a-flock-of-sheep-i-m-constantly-on-the/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“There will always be leaders—the issue is whether they are the leaders called and gifted by God to shepherd his flock or those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-z-witmer/there-will-always-be-leaders-the-issue-is-whether-they-are-the/)

Timothy Z. Witmer

> [Quit acting like a wolf, and feel the shepherd's love filling you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/quit-acting-like-a-wolf-and-feel-the-shepherd-s-love-filling-you/)

[Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/)

> [“An employee is sheep. His employer is the shepherd. His salary is grass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/an-employee-is-sheep-his-employer-is-the-shepherd-his-salary-is-grass/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [“As he prepared to ride on, he chuckled at the thought of the wolf entering the sheepfold. He would not ride with fire and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conn-iggulden/as-he-prepared-to-ride-on-he-chuckled-at-the-thought-of-the-wolf/)

[Conn Iggulden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conn-iggulden/)

> [“Shame on the shepherd who runs and hides when wolves are coming to harm his flock.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mariani/shame-on-the-shepherd-who-runs-and-hides-when-wolves-are-coming-to/)

Scott Mariani

> [My role is the shepherd's role. The shepherd is the one who opens the gate and allows the flock to go through and whoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-cliff/my-role-is-the-shepherd-s-role-the-shepherd-is-the-one-who-opens-the/)

[Jimmy Cliff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-cliff/)

> [“Being a shepherd seems easy. I went with Kaliel last week to tend his flock. The Law says that two must go with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/being-a-shepherd-seems-easy-i-went-with-kaliel-last-week-to-tend-his/)

[Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/)

> [There is one fold and one shepherd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-boniface-viii/there-is-one-fold-and-one-shepherd/)

[Pope Boniface VIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-boniface-viii/)

> [Sheep are always looking for a new shepherd when the terrain gets rocky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/sheep-are-always-looking-for-a-new-shepherd-when-the-terrain-gets/)

[Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/)

> [Do exactly the opposite of what the sheep are doing in order to become the Shepherd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-sylver/do-exactly-the-opposite-of-what-the-sheep-are-doing-in-order-to/)

[Marshall Sylver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-sylver/)

> [To be a good shepherd is to shear the flock, not skin it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiberius/to-be-a-good-shepherd-is-to-shear-the-flock-not-skin-it/)

[Tiberius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiberius/)

> [“A shepherd may like to travel, but he should never forget his sheep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/a-shepherd-may-like-to-travel-but-he-should-never-forget-his-sheep/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

## More by Bill Bryson

> [Most big companies don't like you very much, except hotels, airlines and Microsoft, which don't like you at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/most-big-companies-don-t-like-you-very-much-except-hotels-airlines/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“But Welsh spellings are as nothing compared with Irish Gaelic, a language in which spelling and pronunciation give the impression of having been devised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/but-welsh-spellings-are-as-nothing-compared-with-irish-gaelic-a/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“Pantaloons were often worn tight as paint and were not a great deal less revealing, particularly as they were worn without underwear. . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/pantaloons-were-often-worn-tight-as-paint-and-were-not-a-great-deal/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [If you go out on the Appalachian Trail, you have to bring so much more equipment - a tent, sleeping bag - but if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/if-you-go-out-on-the-appalachian-trail-you-have-to-bring-so-much-more/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“The dining table was a plain board called by that name. It was hung on the wall when not in use, and was perched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/the-dining-table-was-a-plain-board-called-by-that-name-it-was-hung-on/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“From almost nothing, France in four years built up an aircraft industry that employed nearly 200,000 people and produced some 70,000 planes. Britain built…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/from-almost-nothing-france-in-four-years-built-up-an-aircraft/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“Every twenty minutes on the Appalachian Trail, Katz and I walked farther than the average American walks in a week. For 93 percent of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/every-twenty-minutes-on-the-appalachian-trail-katz-and-i-walked/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“A diarist named George Templeton Strong recorded in the winter of 1866 that even with two furnaces alight and all the fireplaces blazing, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/a-diarist-named-george-templeton-strong-recorded-in-the-winter-of/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [Tune your television to any channel it doesn't receive and about 1 percent of the dancing static you see is accounted for by this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/tune-your-television-to-any-channel-it-doesn-t-receive-and-about-1/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [As a rule of thumb, I would submit that if you need to call your floss provider, for any reason, you are probably not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/as-a-rule-of-thumb-i-would-submit-that-if-you-need-to-call-your-floss/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [Nobody gets excited about the future at all, ever. The future is something we find depressing and worrisome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/nobody-gets-excited-about-the-future-at-all-ever-the-future-is/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“What made this particularly interesting is that John Howard is by far the dullest man in Australia. Imagine a very committed funeral home director…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/what-made-this-particularly-interesting-is-that-john-howard-is-by-far/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [I would make a genuinely terrible guide. I can't remember things. I would get half way through telling a story or explaining something and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/i-would-make-a-genuinely-terrible-guide-i-can-t-remember-things-i/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [“In the mystifying world that was Victorian parenthood, obedience took precedence over all considerations of affection and happiness, and that odd, painful conviction remained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/in-the-mystifying-world-that-was-victorian-parenthood-obedience-took/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [If this book has a lesson, it is that we are awfully lucky to be here-and by 'we' I mean every living thing. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/if-this-book-has-a-lesson-it-is-that-we-are-awfully-lucky-to-be-here/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

[Explore all 656 Bill Bryson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

## More Central park quotes

> [“Then she began to mutter to herself and gesture to the empty air. oh. Sonny sighed. Just another central park crazy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-livingston/then-she-began-to-mutter-to-herself-and-gesture-to-the-empty-air-oh/)

[Lesley Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-livingston/)

> [“But the heat and the drought were in some ways the least of it. On May 9 a colossal dust storm had swung out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-james-brown/but-the-heat-and-the-drought-were-in-some-ways-the-least-of-it-on-may/)

[Daniel James Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-james-brown/)

> [“Go ahead, throw this book away. Spit on me. Revile me. I dare you. Cast me out of your intellectual orbit. Throw me out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/go-ahead-throw-this-book-away-spit-on-me-revile-me-i-dare-you-cast-me/)

[Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/)

> [I'm the only woman who can walk in Central Park at night... and reduce the crime rate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-diller/i-m-the-only-woman-who-can-walk-in-central-park-at-night-and-reduce/)

[Phyllis Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-diller/)

> [“She was perhaps seventeen when it happened. She was in Central Park, in New York. It was too warm for such an early spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/she-was-perhaps-seventeen-when-it-happened-she-was-in-central-park-in/)

[Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/)

> [When I thought about Detroit, I would think big city, very urban - not a lot of places to walk around, not a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-cummings/when-i-thought-about-detroit-i-would-think-big-city-very-urban-not-a/)

[Erin Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-cummings/)

> [“I once saw her throw a Juicy Fruit wrapper on the ground in Central Park. She doesn’t even feel guilty about littering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/i-once-saw-her-throw-a-juicy-fruit-wrapper-on-the-ground-in-central/)

[Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/)

> [Back in the mid '90s, I went to a film festival, and they were airing 'Central Park West' at the same time as this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madchen-amick/back-in-the-mid-90s-i-went-to-a-film-festival-and-they-were-airing/)

[Madchen Amick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madchen-amick/)

> [And the most unusual and surrealistic place in New York City is Central Park.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christo/and-the-most-unusual-and-surrealistic-place-in-new-york-city-is/)

[Christo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christo/)

> [It was sweaty Whitney (Houston) in Central Park. She knew that park pretty well. Every bush!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-griffin/it-was-sweaty-whitney-houston-in-central-park-she-knew-that-park/)

[Kathy Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-griffin/)

> [“Structured Notes. These are perhaps one of the more exciting tools available today, but, unfortunately, they are rarely offered to the general public because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/structured-notes-these-are-perhaps-one-of-the-more-exciting-tools/)

[Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/)

> [I don't force myself to exercise; I find going to gyms really boring. I find it easier to go for a fast walk or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-brightman/i-don-t-force-myself-to-exercise-i-find-going-to-gyms-really-boring-i/)

[Sarah Brightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-brightman/)

> [“Tips for aliens in New York: ‘Land anywhere, Central Park, anywhere. No one will care, or indeed even notice. ‘Surviving: Get a job as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/tips-for-aliens-in-new-york-land-anywhere-central-park-anywhere-no/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [Running in Central Park is my favorite thing to wake up and do. I have my own specific path that I have to run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-ruess/running-in-central-park-is-my-favorite-thing-to-wake-up-and-do-i-have/)

[Nate Ruess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-ruess/)

> [I've also gotten to play in front of a million people in Central Park when there was a grass roots movement calling for nuclear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-browne/i-ve-also-gotten-to-play-in-front-of-a-million-people-in-central-park/)

[Jackson Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-browne/)

[Browse all 161 Central park quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/central-park/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Until almost the 20th century, Central Park was home to a shepherd and a flock of 200 sheep.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bill Bryson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/until-almost-the-20th-century-central-park-was-home-to-a-shepherd-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Central park"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/until-almost-the-20th-century-central-park-was-home-to-a-shepherd-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/bill-bryson-340_central-park_until-almost-the-20th-century-central-pa_415320.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/bill-bryson-340_central-park_until-almost-the-20th-century-central-pa_415320.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/bill-bryson-340_central-park_until-almost-the-20th-century-central-pa_415320.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Until almost the 20th century, Central Park was home to a shepherd and a flock of 200 sheep.” — Bill Bryson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Bill Bryson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Until almost the 20th century, Central...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/until-almost-the-20th-century-central-park-was-home-to-a-shepherd-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/until-almost-the-20th-century-central-park-was-home-to-a-shepherd-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
