World Wide Games, a Delaware-based family business that produced high quality, durable wooden games, was founded by Warren and Mary Lea Bailey in 1953, and it operated for over 33 years.
At its peak, World Wide Games employed 10 people and sold games, puzzles and toys, as well as related recreational materials such as books and pamphlets. The building included fabrication and finishing shops, and a showroom where games could be played and purchased.
In 1986, the Baileys retired and sold World Wide Games to S&S Arts and Crafts of Colchester, Connecticut. Production continued at the Delaware facility for another 12 years with daughter, Linda Johnson, managing the operations. Warren and Mary Lea enjoyed traveling during retirement before Warren passed away in 2016. Mary Lea still resides in Delaware, an she recently participated in a video-recorded oral history of World Wide Games with Delaware County Historical Society volunteer Steve Schmitt.
Steve Schmitt will be giving a presentation on World Wide Games at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at the Barn at Stratford, 2690 Stratford Road, Delaware. Many examples of World Wide Games products will be available to play just like in the World Wide Games showroom. The program is free and open to the public. There will be an opportunity to make a donation, which will help defray the expenses.
To ensure adequate seating, registration is strongly advised. For more information and to register, visit the DCHS website at www.delawareohiohistory.org, email [email protected], or call 740-369-3831, ext. 3.
The Delaware County Historical Society is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote, preserve, and sustain interest in the history of Delaware County. The Barn at Stratford is operated by DCHS as an event venue for weddings, corporate meetings and other special occasions. To learn more, visit the venue and society web sites at barnatstratford.org and delawareohiohistory.org.
