Brantley was established on 40 acres of property purchased from Thomas H. Wyatt by the Brantley Land Company. It was first called Sasserville, then Marcus and finally renamed Brantley after T. K. Brantley.
Brantley, Alabama is 25 miles southwest of Troy, and about 10 miles south of Luvern in Crenshaw County, Alabama. Population in 1910—-803; in 2010 —-809. Brantley has been nicknamed, “The front porch capital of the South,” with some lovely old homes and several second hand stores and craft shops just begging to be explored. 
The town was incorporated by the legislature in February, 1895, It was named for Hon. T. K. Brantley of Troy, one of its promoters.
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Brantley welcome sign (Waymarking.com)
Brantley historic district (Rivers Langley; SaveRivers -Wikipedia)
The town was first dubbed Sasserville by the train depot manager after the owner of the local grist mill. At some later point, it was renamed Marcus, and finally Brantley after the initial founder.
The town plot was surveyed by Judge William Sanford and Matthew Downer Pace of Troy, Alabama.
Other early citizens names include, Buster Wyatt, Bob Tisdale, Math Wright, Joe Rainer, Hyram Sacks, Mittenthal, Rubenstein, Freeman, Bill Howard, Ziegler, Bennett, Simmons, Bogan, Dave Payne, J. R. Caton, Johnson, Oliver Morgan, Judge Morgan, Henry Morgan, W. M. Knox, John Beard, Joe Rowe, Mamie Payne, Chapman, Henderson, Raines, Marvin Dodson, Terry, Adams, O. P. Smith, Summerlin, Smith, H. C. Wiley, J. D. Gardner, Hyram Moody, Sherman Johnson, Griffin, Frank Hinton, Nathan Morgan, Bill Johnson, Byrd Sasser, Junior Richards, Joe Raines, Pleas. Tisdale, Dick Summerlin, Gid Tisdale, Heath, Rubye Richards, Bettye Lord, Henry Wyatt, Bud Morgan, Rich Golchrist, Colquett, Claudie Anglican, Tom Cooper, Mosley Crosby, Mack Bentley, Mariah Wyatt, Charlie Hilton, Gladys Stephenson, Donnie Lynn, John Payne, Beckie Sasser, Bradwell, Hughes, Thigpen, Rev. Murrell, Jim Sorrell, H. H. McNeil, Rev. Yarborough, D. S. Hogg, E. C. Penn, Bob Chapman, Dan Stephens, Dr. Knight, Dr. Holt, Dr. Abercrombie, Dr. Hugh McKinnon, Dr. Belser, Moxley, Coston, May, Horn, Tranum, Gilchrist, Pruett, Davidson, Nickson, Malouf, and R. F. Dodds.
Brantley carried on a considerable trade with the surrounding rich agricultural region. The Brantley Booster, a Democratic weekly, was established in 1914. The Crenshaw County Historical Society has its headquarters at Brantley.
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Bama Cotter, artist, owns an art and craft shop in a small town in Alabama. She inherits a dead woman’s nosy parrot, who quotes Shakespeare, and they reveal the identity of an unlikely murderer to Indian police chief, Boone Lightfoot.
Brantley is the SPEED TRAP capital of the South!
Screw Brantley Alabama. A damn speed trap. I will never go through there again and any time I hear about Brantley al. I will think about the speed trap
Please avoid Brantley–as the other writers indicated it’s a speed trap. My daughter was leaving the Gulf because of Hurricane Nate on Oct 7 and was cited. No leniency because of the impending storm.
My grandparents lived in Brantley, and I made such wonderful memories there!
Sure do miss Brantley, Alabama and my grandsons. Still hoping to move back one day.
My dad was police chief of Brantley in the late 50s/early 60s and my grandfather owned a restaurant and dry cleaners there many years ago. Neat little town.
My grandfather owned a dry cleaners in Brantley and he was a Williamson. We are probably related
Of course we are Suzanne! I remember uncle Bobby and aunt Becky well and you, Angie and Andy. My parents were Willie and Hazel Williamson. Your mother and my dad were siblings.
beautiful homes. I was down there in Jan
love a porch
And people sit on them and report your every move! At least they did when I was young.
Hahaha! Tommy, you know that I have lived in Brantley my entire life & I still do! I don’t think that part will EVER change! Lol
Takes me back to my younger years, the gathering place, the porch and fun chatting with neighbors walking down the street. Had a lot of sidewalks then also.
Brantley is the SPEED TRAP capital of the South! Drivers beware!
You won’t have to worry about it if you stay within the legal speed limits.
You made this comment twice. It must mean it is important for you to convey. Brantley folks appreciate your slowing down as you pass through so we can see your smiling face.
Hahaha! Robert Hudson, you are correct!
Robert, he has now made that statement FOUR TIMES!!!
Gene, Brantley is not a speed trap at all. Speed limit signs are posted where they can clearly be seen, if you drive within the speed limit the only thing you will get from our Law Enforcement Officers is a wave. Children walk and ride their bikes on the sidewalks of our little town..someone traveling at a higher rate of speed than is posted would not have time to stop if one of the children or one our beloved pets ran out in the road. It’s really not a problem..just simply obey our speed limit for maybe a mile or mile and a half..if you are in that big of a hurry that you can’t slow down we assume you have an emergency..please call 911 and there will be help there for you within minutes.
You are absolutely correct, Kathy! Not to mention people in town crossing the streets or backing out of parking places.
This sounds like someone from about 10 miles north of us that posted in the local newspaper a couple of years ago, remember?
my opinion brantley is just a greasy spot in the road with a speed trap
Beautiful lil town!!!!
Julia does papa’s place have a porch 🙂
<3
When I was growing up, we would visit the town of Greensboro, Alabama. We had friends who lived in an antebellum home, with a huge front porch. When I think of front porches, I always think of this one. We could play on it, rain or shine. It was so wide, the rain never touched us, and it was so cool, the sun didn’t bother us. Now that was a front porch. I loved it. I don’t know if that house is still there or not, but we loved playing on that porch.
Love these front porches!
I use to walk to school from downtown near the railroad track to the other side of town to school. That was a walk let me tell you. I loved that little town and there are some really nice old homes there. My first grade teacher was Mrs. Massey such a sweet lady!!!!! My teacher that I didn’t like to see was Mrs. Hattaway not because she was mean but, because she swung a mean paddle… she tore my butt up a lot and so did Mrs. Pinkard…. awe those were the days… lol
I also had Ms. Massey, Hattaway and Pinckard! I loved all my teachers that were from Brantley! I guess everybody knew my Daddy (Hootie), the mechanic so they all knew me! They also knew me because most of them had my brother, Mike and my sister, Rhonda as students before me. I have always loved to see all the older houses and porches down Main Street and still do every time I go to town!!!
Beautiful!
Absolutely lovely little town.
my daddy was born in Brantley in 1918.
My Daddy was born here in 1928. I’m sure they probably knew each other! Cool!!!
I love porches…so I would like Brantley.
lived in Brantley as a kid ,,,went back Labor Day to visit ,,,its still a good place to live
Beautiful town. You better go slow thru Brantley !
Brantley is better known as a SPEED TRAP!
I was born and raised in Brantley….proud to call it home!!
My aunt Billie and uncle “Hot” had an amazing porch. I spent many an hour on that porch, shucking corn and shelling pecans…..
Beautiful little town. I always loved riding through.
A lot of my descendants lived in or near Brantley. A lot are buried at Mt. Ida. Williamson, Jordan, Stough, Deloach, were some of their names. YES .. I do remember all the “Big Ole Porchs”. 🙂
Brantley is a beautiful lit town. I live in Luverne, have friends and family in Brantley. Always love to drive thru, especially Hollidays. Always beautifully decorated. By the way, Brantley is not a speed trap just obey the law. There are speed limits and plenty of signs.
I’m proud to have been a part of Brantley for most of my life!! So many memories were made there and even though I’ve moved away, it will always be Home Sweet Home.
Liked the article, don’t like a town known for speed traps. Nope.
My great-aunt, Tina Butler, was a home economics teacher in Brantley. Her hobby was restoring antiques. My mother and my daughter both inherited her first name, and were/are blessed with her culinary and restorative talents.
I’m having trouble remembering her address….have only been through Brantley since her death.
My dad had a distant cousin, Lomax Norman, who lived in Brantly. We would drive down from Montgomery to Partridge hunt around Brantly / Luverne. I have wonderful memories of the little community.
At daybreak people would gather down by the train station and “hunker” around barrels with a fire burning / smoking and await being hired for a days work.
Lomax’s wife was called “dooty”. She was wonderful. She always insisted on cooking me a large breakfast prior to going out on the days hunt.
Had not thought of mthose wonderful days in late 1940, early 1950 for a long time. Thanks for conjuring up those fond memories.
I’m glad you enjoyed the story!
my daddy was born there in 1918
T. K. BRANTLEY was from Troy, AL. He was my wife’s great grandfather.
I love a big front porch.
Brantley is more like the SPEED TRAP capital!
Wrong ! It must be that you are a chronic speeder !
When I was a kid, there was a gas station in Brantley that had a huge cage full of squirrels behind it. Anyone else remember this?
Yes I do.
yes i remember that as well
Those squirrels in Brantley and the Dairy Queen in Opp were the highlights to us kids on the many trips my family made to PC Beach back then. Lots of dear memories.
Yes, the squirrels were a special attraction.
Betty Jean Carroll Oakley
My family is from Brantely. I like to stop and eat at the chicken shack in Luvern on the way to Brantely.
Such a neat town, but lesson learned watch your speed in Brantley!!!!
Always been a speed trap, I don’t go that way anymore
That lil town IS a speed trap folks. 331 going south to Florida. Don’t be fooled!
I travel thru there going to visit my stepson and grands
Tara Norman Beasley
Go the speed limit an u b ok
Oh how I remember my childhood days at Brantley..so many memories..it has always been such a neat little town…don’t get back anymore, but my heart will always be there.
My Dad was born in Brantley in 1915. His name was Oliver Cecil Nichols. We spent many weekend visits sitting on some of those beautiful porches. A beautiful little town with sweet memories.
Tucker Park Jordan McDaniel James Guiler Jay Dalziel Jonathan Young
Porch
Love drivng through your little town of porches. Makes me think of my childhood . Our front porch was a gathering place for neighbors to relax and enjoy simpler times.
Elgin, Il.
Informative article!! The front porch looks amazing and it’s not a wonder that Bradley got a nickname. The house in the picture is very beautiful.
Class of 92..I have some fond memories of that place…But I went back some years later when mom and dad still lived there out of state plates…nabbed for 2 over..now growing up there never once had an issue. The kicker is I grew up with the cop still got a ticket…out of state plates 1 mph over ticket because they know you are not coming back to fight it chiefs orders ..his words it is there bread and butter…But lots of memories back in the day.
The speed traps in Oklahoma got so bad the state enacted a law that a town could only collect a certain percentage of its income from speeding tickets.
This sure seems like one of those places.
Hold on for a second, i have been going through Brantley on my way down 331 to our summer cottage at Seagrove Beach sense 1953 and sometimes a couple times each summer,and have been stopped for speeding one time by a very nice officer who just told me to slow down a bit, and just received a warning. I was going over the posted speed limit. I guess i have been through Brantley 80 times or more over the years and can say Brantley is no speed trap! Just slow down a bit for about a mile and enjoy the town, and you will be just fine, and yes i also recall the changed critters at the Union 66 station ,it was on the left of 331 south just outside town. Robert hodge Huntsville Al
Man this is funny, I come there often, I grew up there but I hardly see anyone when I come Home. John Salter
[…] of quaint, whitewashed homes in Brantley — self-dubbed “the front-porch town” — lined its main street in watercolor […]
They use cameras and send the fine by mail. Speed trap indeed.