Arthur Rothstein/Retrieved from the Library of Congress Untitled photo of Colorado farmer and their bean harvest. Part of the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Photograph Collection at the Library of Congress. Fun Colorado fact: Pinto beans have a royal heritage around Cortez, Dove Creek and Dolores. Ancestral Puebloans grew beans in that area, and ‘modern’ farmers have grown dryland beans in the sandy, loamy, bean-friendly soil there since the 1880s. Since then, Pinto beans have remained a kitchen staple. The humble beans were so beloved in the 1950s and ‘60s they ascended to nobility. An annual pinto bean recipe contest culminated in the crowning of a Pinto Bean Queen – the local cook who garnered a coveted “Grand Award” for legume creativity.