Richard Tighe Harris, Junior was born on November 10, 1885, the youngest surviving son of Kitty Harris and Richard "Dick" Tighe Harris.
His older brother, William John Harris, also survived. A younger sister Mary Kelchine Harris, died at 11 months old.
They family lived at 219 Second Street on the Telephone Hill Historic Neighborhood. Upon his father's death, William inherited this house.
He attended the native school in Juneau. In the mid-1890’s, he began to study at the Indian School at Chemawa, Oregon. The first correspondence in the Alaska Consortium Library's collection between them while at school and their father begins in late 1897.
Dick Harris’ eyesight began to fail by mid-1904, so Richard, joined his father in Juneau in August of that year. A month later, he wrote to his brother at Chemawa that their father had liver and eye trouble.
During this time, Richard helped his father at the Customs Office. He became a musician and carpenter, lived in Juneau for most of his life and raised a large family.