, ▁agricult ure , ▁and ▁the ▁manufact ure ▁of ▁l umber ▁and ▁agricult ure ▁equipment . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁Will is ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁ 5 , 6 6 2 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁after ▁Will is ' ▁population ▁passed ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 , ▁the ▁city ▁established ▁a ▁home ▁rule ▁city ▁char ter . ▁ ▁Geography ▁Will is ▁is ▁located ▁at ▁ ▁( 3 0 . 4 2 2 6 4 0 , ▁- 9 5 . 4 7 8 8 2 9 ). ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Census ▁Bureau , ▁the ▁city ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁, ▁all ▁of ▁it ▁land . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁found ing ▁of ▁Will is , ▁most ▁residents ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁lived ▁in ▁a ▁settlement ▁known ▁as ▁Dan ville , ▁formed ▁four ▁miles ▁west ▁of ▁present - day ▁New ▁W aver ly ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 0 s . ▁A ▁few ▁Dan ville ▁residents ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁settled ▁south ▁of ▁Dan ville ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Will is . ▁ ▁Several ▁of ▁these ▁early ▁Dan ville ▁residents ▁were ▁large ▁slave ▁plant ation ▁own ers . ▁About ▁ 6 0 0 ▁of ▁the ▁estimated ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁early ▁Dan ville ▁residents ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁were ▁slaves . ▁After ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁many ▁recently ▁fre ed ▁slaves ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁Will is