Dick was the son of a pioneer family who settled the Lemoore area. Dick lived most of his life roaming the remote surrounding region and for unknown reasons settled on Wright Mountain.

Dick lived as a hermit in a very simple brush cabin, that, "barely kept the sun and weather out." Dick often prospected with another local hermit named Jim Cosky who had his simple cabin about a mile to the northwest. Dick never rode a horse or in a vehicle; he always walked. Dick picked up his pension check every month at the home of local rancher in Los Gatos Creek. After he failed to show up for two months the rancher went to check and found Dick dead in November 1945. He was buried near his cabin. Dick Wright Spring, which is named for this person is located about ¾ mile south of Wright Mountain.