Some facts about Camp Mystic, where Texas floodwaters swept away dozens of girls

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(Reuters) -Founded by a University of Texas football coach, Camp Mystic where raging floodwaters swept away dozens of girls – killing several and leaving many others missing – was established along the banks of the Guadalupe River in central Texas hill country nearly a century ago “to provide young girls with a wholesome Christian atmosphere.”

Here are some facts and background about the camp:

The camp, located about 85 miles northwest of San Antonio, has operated nearly continuously since its founding in 1926 by E.J. “Doc” Stewart, who coached the Texas Longhorns football squad from 1923-1926 and, according to a UT historian, is the coach under whom the team first appeared in its iconic burnt orange and white uniforms.

Since then, it has operated each summer except for three years during World War Two, when it was leased by the U.S. government as a recovery facility for Army Air Corps veterans, according to the camp’s website.

The current owners, Dick and Tweety Eastland, are the third generation of the family that bought the camp in 1939, the camp website says.

The camp, described on its website as “nestled among cypress, live oak and pecan trees … on the banks of the beautiful Guadalupe River,” operates three sessions each summer, offering classic summer camp activities including archery, canoeing, arts and crafts, horseback riding and a variety of sports.

It says it aims to challenge campers to meet its three ideals: “Be a better person for being at Mystic”; “Let Mystic bring out the best in them”; and “Grow spiritually.”

When the flash flood struck early on Friday, it was less than a week into its second four-week term with more than 700 children in residence, according to details provided Friday by Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.

(Assembled by Dan Burns, Editing by Nick Zieminski)