First printed in 1874, Logomachy is a word game that won the silver medal at the Cincinnati Industrial Exposition. Its popularity increased into the early 1900s, and editions were published by F.A. Wright Co., McLoughlin Brothers, and Milton Bradley.
Players are dealt four cards (each card features a single letter), and four other cards are placed in the center of the table. The first player uses one card from his hand and as many as possible from the table to form a word. He can choose to take those cards and score points, or to leave them on the table and try to spell a longer word on his next turn. The danger is that an opponent could steal the word before it's his turn again.
For 2 to 4 players, ages 10 and up, about 20 minutes per game.