Roselawn, Indiana
Social Graph
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Key People
1968–1986
Previous owners
~1933
1964
Ponderosa
"Naked City, USA"
The Two Resorts
Roselawn (Newton County, pop. ~4,000) has hosted two nudist resorts on the same road since the 1960s. Understanding which was which matters — they had very different cultures.
Naked City verified
Founded by Chicago lawyer Alois Knapp. Acquired post-WWII by Dale & Mary Drost. Their son Dick Drost took over in 1968, renamed it "Naked City," and turned it into the self-proclaimed world's largest nudist camp (Guinness) and home of the Miss Nude America pageant.
By the mid-1970s it evolved from a family nudist camp into what multiple sources describe as a "swingers mecca." Multiple first-hand accounts describe families fleeing to Ponderosa as Drost's behavior escalated. Closed in 1986 after Drost's criminal conviction. Reopened under new ownership as Sun Aura Resort (still operating, adults-only).
Ponderosa Sun Club verified
Founded by the Schmitt family — Tom and Pinky (Linnie) Schmitt from Chicago. Originally a family-oriented nudist resort. Hosted the "Nudes-A-Poppin'" annual pageant from 1975–2019 (erotic dance competition that drew 6,000+ spectators). Many families left Naked City for Ponderosa in the late 1970s when Drost's behavior became known.
Now 21+ only. Described by some as swinger-friendly (contested — depends who you ask). Still run by the Schmitt family (Scarlett Schmitt, granddaughter of founders).
The Scandal Timeline
The major documented events, drawn from court records, UPI wire stories, the Indianapolis Star, Post-Tribune (Gary), and personal accounts:
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1933 | Club Zoro founded by Alois Knapp as a quiet nudist camp |
| 1964 | Ponderosa Sun Club founded by the Schmitt family |
| 1968 | Dick Drost takes over Zoro, renames it "Naked City." Miss Nude America pageant begins. |
| 1970s | Post-Tribune (Gary) runs periodic exposés on Naked City. Swinger culture grows. Families begin leaving for Ponderosa. |
| 1975 | Nudes-A-Poppin' pageant starts at Ponderosa Sun Club |
| 1978 | Indianapolis Star reports confiscated photos and films of nude children at Naked City |
| 1980 | Indiana State Police raid — 100+ films and tapes seized from Naked City |
| 1982 | UPI reports: informant and state police officer testified they saw obscene films including child pornography displayed at Naked City |
| 1984 | Court case: Naked City, Inc. v. State (460 N.E.2d 151) — 254 allegedly obscene films/videotapes seized as evidence |
| 1985 | Drost charged with molesting a 13-year-old girl and showing obscene materials to minors |
| 1986 | Plea bargain: Drost pled guilty to 10 sex-related misdemeanors. Ordered to sell the resort, leave Indiana for 10 years, pay $20,000 fine. Naked City closes. |
| 1987 | Court orders Naked City "closed instanter" (Naked City v. Aregood, 667 F. Supp. 1246). Newton County commissioners had sought injunction. |
| Late 80s | Drost moves to California, operates "NCLA" (Naked City Los Angeles) in Homeland, CA |
| 1990s | Drost files $1 billion lawsuit against Indiana (dismissed). Continues operations in CA. Multiple women come forward with accounts of coercion and abuse. |
The Swinger Culture — What Sources Say
Multiple first-hand accounts from people who lived at or visited Naked City describe the evolution:
The distinction between "nudist" and "swinger" was a major fault line in the community. The Ponderosa/Schmitt family consistently positioned themselves as legitimate nudists. Naked City under Drost became something else entirely.
Family Name Search Results
This does not mean nothing happened. It means:
- 1970s–1990s small-town Indiana news is largely not digitized. The newspapers that would have covered local events — the Rensselaer Republican, Newton County Enterprise, Morocco Courier, and Gary Post-Tribune — are mostly locked behind Newspapers.com paywalls or not online at all.
- County-level court records from that era aren't searchable online. The Justia cases found were appellate-level (which get digitized); county misdemeanor/arrest records from the 70s–80s are paper-only at the Newton County courthouse.
- Community-level drama may not have made "the news." Domestic disputes, swinger-related conflicts, and minor charges may have only appeared in the local police blotter, if at all.
- Spelling variation checked: S*********, C*********, S*********, Sz******** — no relevant connections found for any variant.
Recommended Next Steps
These are the concrete paths most likely to turn up family-specific information:
Sources Used in This Research
- Wikipedia: Roselawn, Indiana • Nudes-A-Poppin'
- Court Records: Naked City, Inc. v. State (1984) • Naked City v. Aregood (1987)
- UPI Archives: Naked City owner hearing (1982) • Plea bargain and sale (1986)
- Chicago Tribune: Roselawn woman sheds light on nudist resort (2016) • Businesses ready for Roselawn fest (2017)
- Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne): Miss Nude America pageant (1971 retrospective)
- NW Indiana Times: "Free to be me" — Ponderosa history
- Blog Archives: Dark Side of Naked City (2007) • Naked City Revisited (2012) • NW Indiana Historian: Au Naturel (2016)
- Roadside America: Giant Lady's Leg Sundial (visitor comments span decades)
- Atlas Obscura: Giant Lady's Leg Sundial
- Newspapers.com (snippets only): Indianapolis Star (1969, 1978, 2001, 2015) • Cincinnati Enquirer (1987) • Daily Journal (1987)
- Nudist Hall of Shame: Dick Drost page