Jimmy Bashline was born July 19, 1917, to Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Bashline of Butler. He began drawing at age 5, then studied art with Eleanor Green on Walker Avenue during grade school.

In high school, he took evening classes at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. After graduation, he worked as a sign painter at Troutman's department store in Butler. In 1937, Bashline began a family sign painting business in a rented garage before building his own sign shop in 1948.

He and his wife, the late Ann LaBorde, had a daughter Aryl, who lives in Butler Township.

As well as creating the Jay Bee Miniature Circus, which mostly evolved over a period of about 20 years beginning in the mid-1940s, Bashline produced paintings and cartoons, 60 of which were sold to various magazines.

Bashline is a World War II veteran and has belonged to the Circus Model Builders, Associated Artists of Butler County and the Butler County Historical Society.

He now resides at Sunnyview Nursing Home.

Source: Family members and the publication "Favorite Sons and Sons of Guns" stories recorded in 1997 by Butler High School students.