Saxman is located on the west side of
Revillagigedo Island, just 3 miles south of
Ketchikan in the
Ketchikan Gateway Borough. In the 1880s, Tlingits from nearby villages wanted a new site to construct a Presbyterian Church and central BIA school. The village was named for Samuel Sasman, a Presbyterian teacher who died while searching for the new village site.
During the 1930s, many totem poles and ceremonial artifats, such as carvings and masks, were retrieved from abandoned villages nearby. These totems were restored, and are now located in Saxman Totem Park - which has become a major attraction for Ketchikan area visitors. Saxman and Ketchikan are connected by the South Tongass Highway.