From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Feb. 18. 1989:

A local man who said homeless people had been living in a tent on his property along the Kansas River contacted the Lawrence Police Department this week about clearing the site. Bill Penny said a varying number of people had been living at the site over the past few months or perhaps even years. The tent in question was along the south bank of the river just north of the Santa Fe depot, 413 E. Seventh. Penny said he had “never been aggressive” about clearing the area because the people had never caused any trouble, and he had not filed a formal complaint with police about the matter, but he had recently become concerned about liabilities he could face if one of the people were injured. Susan Beers, director of social services at the Salvation Army, said this week that a man had previously lived in the tent but had recently gotten a job and had moved out of the tent and into an apartment. She added that several people who had formerly lived by the riverbank had told her that no one was currently living in the tent or in two nearby structures. The City of Lawrence was negotiating with Penny to purchase the land in question and was interested in using it for open space or a park.