Jimbo wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2020 at 3:14pm:

I think it is fair to say Harlan was a "change agent" (probably a fairly aggressive one) and, well, we all know that most folks don't do so well with change.

You nailed it right here Jimbo.  It's small minded people who were jealous of Harlan or looked at him as a disruption to their "control" over the area.  They probably saw him as an intruder and representing wholesale change to the area.