In an agricultural economy "wealth" tends to equal "land." Large "agricultural estates" became "mini communities." Those estates may have been self-sufficient but also isolated.
Newspapers, pamphlets, and almanac were primary "information" resources. Which made being a "printer" a profitable profession.
Ben Franklin is remembered as a diplomat and "founding father" but he was a successful printer and inventor first.
It is interesting that Ben Franklin might have been the "richest" person in the American colonies at one point. The problem with any "wealth" estimation is availability of data, which we just don't really have before the 20th Century.
Mr. Franklin published a popular almanac from 1732 to 1758 ("Poor Richard's Almanac"). "Poor Richard" was obviously Mr. Franklin, using a pseudonym would have created a "brand" while not interfering with other print shop business.
The Way to Wealth is a short "best of" collection of advice/proverbs given by "Poor Richard" in his almanac.