08/27/2026
Surveying Crew on the Esperson Lease in Humble,Texas 1909
Niels Esperson was a Danish immigrant who came to America in the late 1870s. On December 20, 1893, Niels married Mellie Keenan in El Reno, Oklahoma, a town he helped found. In 1903, the couple moved to the Houston area, where Niels became an early pioneer in the oil business. The Esperson Lease was 500-acre lease located in the Moonshine Hill area. This was not Niels greatest success, as he went on to become a real estate and oil tycoon. After his passing, Mellie honored his legacy by developing the distinguished Esperson Building in downtown Houston, Texas