Maybe some of the "locals" will know.
Marshall

I live not to far west of you near Orland Pk. I only know of Rich's Fox Willow in WoodStock IL or Hidden Gardens in Burr Ridge IL.
Rich's is a great place to visit & will have what you want, but its drive. Hidden Gardens is not as large and not as good as it once was.

Thanks for the reply - not really interested in driving up to Woodstock and have been there before some time ago. Was looking for places in the area where we'll be staying. Seems to me there's a place over in Frankfort, but can't come up with a name.
Marshall

Perhaps your thinking of Alsip Nursery on LaGrange rd?
For years they had nice conifer selection they still have some but in recent years its less & less.

Just throwing it out there....Blue River Nursery in Columbia City, IN

Blue River is worthy of a stop if in that neighborhood for sure, but it's on the other side of the state and we don't plan on going that way back to Dayton. Stopped by the St John's Alsip today and they didn't have anything interesting.

Marshall

Is Possibility Place anywhere near where you are? Connor is a good grower, and has lots of native woodies in grow bag containers.

Monee, IL doesn't seem too darn far from your flight path. Give 'em a look-see.

How is Dayton and the Cox Arboretum these days? Did the old Firmiana simplex shrug off this past winter's vagaries?

Here is a link that might be useful: Possibility Place website

Sorry for the late reply, but the wi-fi in our motel was down, I don't have one of those Smart@$$ phones, and been busy since leaving Indiana.
I had checked out PP but although they weren't far away, didn't really have what I was looking for, plus needed an appointment. Thanks for the suggestion though.
That firmiana simplex went in to decline several years ago so we cut it to the ground. It re-sprouted fairly nicely the next spring, but by mid-summer was already in decline, so we dug it up. I was over at Dawes two years ago and they still had a couple in deep containers from seed I had given to them, but I don't think they ever planted one out -but haven't looked at their database to verify that. Was sorry to see the tree die as it was an interesting tree with unusual seed clusters. The current management is too involved with planting mainly natives so trying another is out of the question right now.

Marshall