Born in Vermont in 1828, he moved to California
in 1852 where he established residence in Antioch.
Before he was elected sheriff, Hard served a term
as a county supervisor.
In 1868, the first Court House was extensively
damaged by an earthquake. The Board of Supervisors immediately
authorized Sheriff Hard to build a jail at Antioch.
David Tyler Hard aided his brother as a deputy
sheriff and later went on to become a justice of the peace in Alameda.
After his term as sheriff, Roswell Hard left with
a group of men from Martinez for an expedition to Alaska, where he met
his death.
